Miasmata
/maɪˈæz.mə.tə/noun
Plural of miasma: noxious or unhealthy vapors once believed to cause disease.
Did you know?In ancient Greek medicine, miasma meant a ritual or moral pollution, so the same word could imply both physical contamination and spiritual defilement.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Gk
μίασμα (míasma)
“a stain, pollution, or defilement”
Late Latin
Lat
miasma
“a noxious exhalation or pollution”
17th-18th Century
English
miasma
“a harmful vapor thought to cause disease”
Modern English
English
miasmas / miasmata
“plural forms referring to noxious vapors or harmful atmospheric influences”
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