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Where does the word "pandemic" come from? It comes from Greek pandēmos, and was adopted directly into English (1660s).
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Where does the word "pandemic" come from? It comes from Greek pandēmos, and was adopted directly into English (1660s).
Pandemic’s story begins in Greek: pandēmos meant “of all the people.” 'of all the people', from 'pan', all, and 'dēmos', people. It reached English by 1660s as pandemic. An adjective at first, then a noun from the 1850s; Merriam-Webster named it the word of the year in 2020. Today, pandemic means an outbreak of disease across a whole country or the world.
- Stage 1 · Greek · ancient pandēmos "of all the people", 'of all the people', from 'pan', all, and 'dēmos', people.
- Stage 2 · English · 1660s pandemic "worldwide outbreak", an adjective at first, then a noun from the 1850s; Merriam-Webster named it the word of the year in 2020.