pestilence etymology

Etymology of Pestilence

The word "pestilence" comes from the following sources:

  • Old French: pestelence
  • Medieval Latin: pestilentia
  • Latin: pestis ("plague, disease") + -lentia ("full of, characterized by")

Meaning of Pestilence

Pestilence refers to a highly contagious and deadly disease, often affecting a large population. It is used to describe an epidemic or widespread disease that causes significant mortality.

Origin of Pestilence

The concept of pestilence has been around for centuries, with references to devastating diseases found in ancient texts. Some of the earliest known instances of pestilence include:

  • The Plague of Athens (430-426 BC): A devastating pandemic that killed an estimated 25% of the Athenian population.
  • The Black Death (1347-1351): One of the most catastrophic plagues in human history, killing an estimated 30-50% of the European population.
  • The Justinian Plague (541-542 AD): A pandemic that decimated the Byzantine Empire, killing an estimated 40% of the population in Constantinople.

Usage of Pestilence

The term "pestilence" is still used today to describe highly contagious and deadly diseases, such as:

  • Malaria
  • Smallpox
  • Ebola
  • SARS
  • COVID-19

pestilence relate terms

  • pest

    Etymology The word pest originates from the Latin word pestis which means plague o

  • pestilential

    Etymology Latin pestilentia pestilence from pestis plague Meaning Having

  • pestilence

    Etymology of Pestilence The word pestilence comes from the following sources Old Fre

  • plague

    Etymology The word plague comes from the Latin word plaga which means blow or wo

  • plague

    Etymology The word plague comes from the Latin word plaga which means blow or wo

  • epilepsy

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  • thaw

    Etymology Old English þawian from Proto Germanic þawaną from Proto Indo European t

  • devour

    Etymology Old French devourer Latin dēvorāre PIE gʷer to swallow devour Me

  • qualm

    Etymology The word qualm is derived from the following sources Old Norse kvalm

  • comet

    Etymology and Meaning The word comet originated from the Old English word cometa wh

  • influence

    Etymology Middle English influence from Old French influence from Late Latin influ

  • privilege

    Etymology Latin privilegium Proto Indo European pr̥ḱ li s before the law Mea