Bubonic Plague
/bjuːˈbɒn.ɪk pleɪɡ/noun
A severe infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, typically spread by fleas and marked by swollen lymph nodes called buboes.
Did you know?The word bubonic comes from Greek boubṓn, meaning a groin swelling or boil, and plague ultimately came through Latin from a word for a blow or strike—so the name feels like a body hit by an invisible force.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
βουβών (boubṓn)
“groin swelling; bubo”
Late Latin
Latin
bubo
“a swelling, especially in the groin or armpit”
14th Century
Latin
plaga
“a blow, wound, or stroke”
Middle English
English
plage
“a great affliction or calamity”
Late 19th Century
English
bubonic plague
“the plague characterized by buboes”