Where does “typhus” come from?

Typhus comes from New Latin typhus, from Ancient Greek τῦφος, from Ancient Greek τύφω meaning to smoke or generate vapor, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- meaning to smoke or obscure.

typhus (English): One of several similar diseases, characterised by...

Definitions

  1. One of several similar diseases, characterised by...

Ancestry of “typhus”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1New Latintȳphus—
2Ancient Greekτῦφοςa kind of fever; delusion, vanity; nonsense
3Ancient Greekτύφωto smoke, fill with smoke; to consume in smoke
4Proto-Indo-Europeandhubh-—
5Proto-Indo-Europeandheu-scatter like dust

Words derived from “typhus”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dheu- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European dhubh- →Every word from Ancient Greek τύφω →