/oss/taxonomy/term/1837/all en /oss/article/did-you-know-health/word-quarantine-comes-italian-word-forty-days <p style="text-align:justify">The term derives from “quaranta giorni,” meaning 40 days, and traces back to the 14th century when the city of Dubrovnik, now in Croatia, was under Venetian rule. The Great Pestilence, or the Great Plague, as it was known at the time, was devastating Europe. As a form of protection, Dubrovnik declared that all ships and people had to be isolated for 40 days before entering the city.</p> Thu, 06 Feb 2020 18:07:55 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8102 at /oss