Influenza
/ˌɪn.fluˈɛn.zə/noun
A contagious viral illness that causes fever, body aches, and respiratory symptoms.
Did you know?The word came into English from Italian influenza, originally meaning “influence,” because people once blamed epidemics on the influence of the heavens and the stars.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰleu-
“to flow, swell”
Latin
Latin
influere
“to flow in; to exert an influence”
Medieval Latin
Latin
influentia
“a flowing in; an influence, especially of the stars”
14th Century
Italian
influenza
“influence, especially a supposed astral influence causing disease”
18th Century
English
influenza
“an epidemic illness attributed to heavenly influence”
Modern English
English
influenza
“the viral respiratory disease called the flu”