Break from the Grind September 15, 2020
TUESDAY TRIVIA: From Where Did the Word Influenza Come?
Influenza is the official word for what most people call the flu.
Reported by PS
From where did the word influenza come?
Influenza comes to English from Italian, where it derived from the Medieval Latin word influentia. Both etyma translate to “influence” in their respective languages, an allusion to how disease was traditionally attributed to astrological influences.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the first known influenza pandemic struck in 1580. Another epidemic of the disease originated from Rome in 1743, spreading throughout much of Europe and bringing the word to the British Isles.