שפעת

Hebrew

Root
שׁ־פ־ע‎

Etymology

From the root שׁ־פ־ע‎ (sh-p-`), and especially the noun השפעה‎ (hashpa'á, “influence”), in the qaTTéleth construction. A calque of Italian influenza (“influence, influenza”).

Noun

שַׁפַּעַת • (shapá'at) f [pattern: קַטֶּלֶת]

Influenza, flu, the flu.

References

“שַׁפַּֽעַת” in Abraham Even-Shoshan (אַבְרָהָם אֶבֶן־שֹׁשָן) et al., הַמִּלּוֹן הֶחָדָשׁ‎ (ha-milón he-khadásh, “The New Dictionary”), Kiryat-Sefer Ltd. (קִרְיַת־סֵפֶר בְּע״ם)‎ (1984), →ISBN, volume 3 of 3 (ק to ת), page 1408.