Some lovely historical misconceptions that have become embedded in our medical language.
Both ‘malaria’ and ‘influenza’ are vestiges of a time before the contagion and vector-borne theories of disease. At certain points in time, it was noticed that entire communities were stricken with nasty symptoms – coughs, sneezes, chills. Before there was any sense that disease could spread from person to person through contagion, such periodic outbreaks were believed to be the effect of ill-crossed stars; the community was under the influence of a malign astrological constellation. The Italian for influence? Influenza.
And ‘malaria’? It’s another literal one. Before the vector-bourne theory of disease was established, and the mosquito identified as the vector for malaria, the only explanation for the high incidence of malaria in swampy regions was the mal (bad) aria (air) given off by the swamps. Not the little midgies that bred in them.
Oh and consider this a buy two get one free Italian etymology fact: Quarantine. From quarantina giorni (forty days), the length of time that ships arriving from plague-ridden areas would be made to dock outside Venice before entering the port, and so Europe.
Awesome Italian medical facts.
Awesome (etymological) Facts 