contagion English · revision 909

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /kənˈteɪd͡ʒən/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|contagioun]], [[bor|fro|contagion]],^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) and directly [[der|la|contāgiō|t=contact, touching; contagion]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from ''contingere'' “to touch closely”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) from ''con-'' “together” and ''tangere'' “to touch”.^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) It is related to [[contact]] and [[contingent]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A corrupting influence, contamination (about 1380);^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) a contagious disease (1398).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Latin ''contāgiō'' was often used in a bad sense, of contact with something physically or morally unclean.^(Etymonline) The sense “communication of disease by contact” dates from the 16th century (before 1535),^(OED 1989) and figuratively the catching influence of example or emotion from 1632.^(OED 1989) The Century Dictionary noted an attempted distinction between ''contagion'', transmission by contact, and ''[[infection]]'', transmission through the air, but in common use the words are not precisely distinguished.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1380 – corrupting influence.^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1398 – a contagious disease.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * before 1535 – transmission of disease by contact.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1603 – the agent that transmits a disease.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1632 – the spreading influence of example or emotion.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The transmission of disease by direct or indirect contact.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A disease spread in this way; a contagious disease.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The agent, such as a [[virus]], that causes and transmits such a disease.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+ # A harmful or corrupting influence.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+ # The rapid spread of an idea, emotion or influence, as in ''a contagion of fear''; also, in economics, the spread of a financial crisis.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[contagious]]

+ * [[contact]]

+ * [[contingent]]

+ * [[tangible]]

+ * [[infection]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}