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influenza

Etymology and origin of the English word influenza

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Formation
Borrowing
Borrowed from
Italian influenza

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˌɪn.fluˈɛn.zə/[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Italian influenza (“influence; epidemic”),[2][3][4][5][6] from Medieval Latin influentia (“influence”),[2][3][4][5][6] so called from the belief that epidemics were caused by the influence of the stars.[2][4][5] It is related to influence.[3][4][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

A highly contagious feverish disease occurring in widespread epidemics (1743).[7][3][4][5]

Semantic evolution

The word was borrowed during an outbreak that began in Italy and spread over Europe in 1743.[3][4] In Italian it had been used for diseases since at least 1504, as in influenza di febbre scarlattina “scarlet fever”.[3][4] From the mid-19th century it was often applied to severe colds.[4] It was also used figuratively of a prevailing craze (1774)[7] and of a disease of horses (1872).[7] The short form flu is now the usual everyday word.[6][1]

Timeline

  • 1504 – the Italian word used of diseases.[3][4]
  • 1743 – borrowed into English.[7][3][4][5]
  • 1774 – figurative, a prevailing craze.[7]
  • 1872 – a disease of horses.[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. An acute, highly contagious viral disease marked by inflammation of the respiratory tract, fever, aches and exhaustion, often occurring as an epidemic.
  2. Any of various viral diseases of domestic animals, such as horses and swine, with fever and respiratory symptoms.

Word family

  • influenzal
  • parainfluenza
  • avian influenza
  • Spanish influenza
  • affluent
  • confluence
  • flu
  • fluent
  • fluid
  • flux
  • influence
  • influx
  • mellifluous
  • superfluous
  • grippe

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Influenza.” Etymologically, 14 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/influenza. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·