Youngest son has a case of sore throat and sniffles this week. Although his forehead didn’t feel warm, I took his temperature just to be sure. No fever, but we did have an interesting conversation:
Me: Your temperature is low, so you don’t have a fever. That’s good news! I think you just have a cold.
Son: Well, if I have a cold, shouldn’t my temperature be low? It’s a COLD, Mom.
This sparked a debate with Dr. Husband about the origin of the name “cold” for the symptoms (stuffy nose, sore throat, cough) caused by various viruses, including “rhinovirus”. Dr. H. proposed that since compared to something like the flu, a cold doesn’t cause high temperatures, people called the illness “cold”. I suggested that it was because people think they get colds from cold weather.
If you like to learn about the origins of words, come visit the Word Nerd every Wednesday, and join in the Wondrous Words Wednesday meme over at Bermuda Onion. Bloggers share new words they’ve learned or explore some they’re curious about.
I couldn’t find much information about the origin of the name “cold”, at least not from reputable sources. The National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health will tell you all about what causes colds (rhinovirus or many other viruses), how to treat a cold, and when to call a doctor. As far as the name goes…
- erkbiz.com (whatever that is) suggests that because cold causing viruses weren’t discovered until the 1950s, people called the illness a cold because they believed they caught the cold from cold weather. Actually, it seems like people have colds more often in the winter because we are all inside more, and therefore transmission occurs more readily.
- Yahoo Answers also links the name “cold” with increased incidence in cold weather.
Here’s the good news: a typical cold should resolve within a week. If not, call your doctor. And (soap box moment), antibiotics don’t work on viruses, so don’t ask for one. Just drink lots of water, get rest, and take a shot of NyQuil if you need sleep. (This is unofficial medical advice from Dr. Mom; I just fed Dr. Husband when he was in med school… I didn’t take his classes. 😉 )
Word Nerd Workout
Is there a word you know a funny origin story for, or is there one you’d like to know the origin of? I’m always looking for post ideas. 🙂
Thanks for getting nerdy with me, and stay healthy!
I’m glad you were able to pin down the origin of the word with a little help from friends and the OED! When writing historical fiction, I often found it frustratingly hard to pin down the origin of words and especially figures of speech ~ which was necessary to make certain I wasn’t using them out of their time period.
I trust your medical advice, Julia! I’m nursing a sore throat – sounding a little manly when I talk. 🙂
The next time I ponder a word origin, I will let you know!
I hope you feel better soon, Dana!
I’d just like to point out that for all intents and purposes, you were right 😉
Thanks for having my back, friend. 😉
My family is just getting over colds at this time. This is a timely word today.
I am currently at he tail end of a cold and totally agree with your prescription for relief. I drink water and tea with lots of lemon and nap as often as I feel like it. (Easy now that I’m retired.) It works, but I do wish there were some big pill I could take to make it go away. This was fun – thinking about the origin of the word.
I agree with your theory. As was mentioned, no one knew what the flu virus was centuries ago. But they were able to associate a ‘cold’ with cold weather. Makes sense!
Thanks Kim! Nice to “meet” you.
I’ve never thought about that before. I know a lot of people still think they can catch a cold if they don’t wear a coat so I guess they do think it comes from cold weather. Great post today!
Don’t sell yourself short. My mom fed my dad through med school, and she was a better diagnostician than he was! Not really, but almost. She was crazy accurate. People sought her advice up until she died. Two days before she passed away, she told us, “I’m dying today or tomorrow.” And she did.
Wow, Millie, what an amazing story! Thanks for sharing… and for having confidence in “Dr. Mom”. 😉
nice
I got curious and checked the OED: “disease attributed to an excess of the quality of coldness within the body or part of the body, to a superfluity of cold humours (esp. phlegm), or to exposure to low temperature; (in later use).” It’s been in use in English for the disease since at least 1400.
The meaning “lack of heat” is Old English — Bede used it.
This is a fantastic bit of info to add to my post. I need to remember to consult the OED (Oxford English Dictionary for the uninitiated) more often. Great tip, Joy. Thank you.
Super interesting! Thanks for the info 🙂