Why is malaria called malaria?

Answer 1

malaria literally means "bad air".

The name derives from the time before we knew about micro-organisms as a cause for disease ("the germ theiry of disease). People noticed that malaria was more common near standing waters such as swamps and so they thought it might be causes by swamp gasses.

As an interesting historical note - air conditioning was invented as a way to combat this. It did not help malaria but became popular for other reasons.

Answer 2

From Medieval Italian mala aria meaning literally, "Bad Air." The disease was also called ague or marsh fever because it was associated with swamps and marshy lands. The swamps and marshes of the "New World" were tantamount to a death sentence for the sailors and adventurers of the time.

Answer 3

The origin of the word malaria is that ,it is an Italian word and in Italian language (mal) means ''bad'' and (aria) mean ''air'' they named this disease malaria because they thought that it is cause of 'bad air.

Komal Naeem

Answer 4

Malaria literally made from two words. 'Mal' mean bad and 'aria' means air. It was thought that malaria comes from bad air from marshy land. That is correct. You get more mosquitoes from marshy land, which spread malaria.

Answer 5

It is derived from the Medieval Italian term mal'ariameaning bad air.