Etymology
FRENCH AND ITALIAN DISEASES
Syphilis has a fascinating history that dates back to the 1490s during the French invasion of Italy. Interestingly, each country had its own name for the disease based on…
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Latest Etymology
OVERGROWN VIRUS
Before the Zika virus emerged from the forests of Brazil to reach international infamy from 2015-2016, it was an obscure virus…
TYPHOID sMOKE
After some research, I discovered that typhus and typhoid are actually different diseases. Typhoid, the more recently discovered of…
HIV’S HISTORY
In 1981, HIV was first observed without an official name. Scientists initially referred to it by its complications. In…
GOD HELPS LEPERS
A lazaretto is a specialized hospital for isolating lepers and plague victims. The term originates from Lazzaretto Vecchio, an island in the…
TO DONATE GIFTS
The term donation has an interesting history. It was first mentioned in a 1425 history of Scotland, spelled as…
DIVING PELICANS
The term albatross was adopted in the late 17th century from the Spanish albatros, which is a modification of…
GRANNY MARIA ANN SMITH
In 1868, Maria Ann Smith, a sexagenarian from Australia, purchased a crate of French crab apples. After using them…
SAPPHIRE HYACINTHS
The word hyacinth was initially borrowed in the thirteenth century from the Old French word jacinth, which originates from Latin…