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Where does the word "malaria" come from? It comes from Italian mala aria, and was adopted directly into English (1700s).
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Where does the word "malaria" come from? It comes from Italian mala aria, and was adopted directly into English (1700s).
Malaria’s story begins in Italian: mala aria meant “bad air.” Literally "bad air", believed to cause the disease near swamps. It reached English by 1700s as malaria. Italian 'bad air', blamed on the marsh air of the Roman Campagna; Ronald Ross proved the mosquito link in 1897. Today, malaria means a mosquito-borne disease causing fever, chills, and fatigue.
- Stage 1 · Italian · medieval mala aria "bad air", literally "bad air", believed to cause the disease near swamps.
- Stage 2 · English · 1700s malaria "a mosquito-borne fever disease", Italian 'bad air', blamed on the marsh air of the Roman Campagna; Ronald Ross proved the mosquito link in 1897.