Where did the word influenza originate?

Answer 1

Italian wordInfluenza meaning "influence" and refers to the cause of the disease. Initially, this illness was said to be due to unfavorable astrological influences.Changes in medical thought led to its modification to meaning "influence of the cold".The word influenza was first used in English to refer to the disease as we know today in 1703 by J. Hugger of the University of Edinburgh (Ref 1).The terms for influenza include epidemic catarrh, grippe (from the French, first used by Molyneaux in 1694, sweating sickness, and Spanish fever (1918 flu pandemic).

Reference

(1) Potter, CW (2001). "A history of influenza".Journal of applied microbiology91(4): 572–579).

Answer 2

The word "influenza" originated in Italy in the 18th century, deriving from the Italian word "influenza di freddo" meaning "influence of the cold." The term was coined as a reference to the belief that the disease was caused by unfavorable planetary influences.