Quarantine

Ancient Roots

  • The root comes from the Latin quadraginta, meaning forty.
  • In medieval Italian, this became quaranta (forty).

Venice and the Black Death

  • In the mid-14th century, the Black Death devastated Europe, killing around a third of the population.
  • Venice, a major port city, was terrified of infected ships bringing plague.
  • Authorities ordered ships from plague-affected regions to remain anchored offshore for a period before anyone could come ashore.

At first, this waiting period was trentino — 30 days. Later, it was extended to 40 days for greater safety. This became known as quaranta giorni (“forty days”), which gave us quarantine.

Why Forty Days?

Historians believe the number 40 wasn’t random:

  • In the Bible, 40 days is a symbolic period of purification (e.g., Noah’s flood lasted 40 days, Jesus fasted for 40 days).
  • Medieval medicine often used 40 as a standard healing or cleansing period.
  • It was long enough to ensure plague symptoms would show in sailors and passengers.

Spread of the Word

  • By the 16th century, the term entered French as quarantaine.
  • English borrowed it in the early 17th century, first used for ships, later extended to people and even animals.
  • Over time, “quarantine” evolved to mean any enforced isolation to prevent the spread of disease, not just the 40-day rule.

Modern Usage

  • Today, quarantine can mean staying isolated due to infectious disease exposure, but also has figurative uses (e.g., quarantining computer viruses).
  • The original sense of “forty days” has faded, though the symbolic number is still remembered in the etymology.

🌍 Historical Impact

  • Quarantine laws were among the first public health measures in history.
  • Venice even built the Lazzaretto Vecchio (1423), one of the first quarantine stations, on an island in its lagoon.
  • The practice spread across Europe and shaped how governments handled epidemics up to modern times (including COVID-19).

So, the word “quarantine” is not just about isolation; it carries with it a whole story of fear, religion, trade, and the beginnings of public health.