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Glite Dictionary
Asiatic flu

Asiatic flu

3.6
A type of flu first identified in 1957 that caused a worldwide outbreak
  • noun
  • /ˌeɪziˈætɪk flu/
translation icon : gripe asiática
  • Many people around the world fell ill with the Asiatic flu during the pandemic in 1957.

Examples

  • The Asiatic flu originated in East Asia and spread rapidly to other continents.

  • Doctors warned that the Asiatic flu could cause severe respiratory issues for vulnerable populations.

  • I bet I'm getting the Asiatic flu.

    Lolita (1962)

Synonyms

Asian influenza
vsAsiatic flu
  • Archaic
4.1

A worldwide flu illness that began in Asia in 1957 and spread to many countries

has identical meaning but uses a different regional name form

Surface Forms

Asiatic flu singular
Asiatic flus plural

Morphology

Asiatic + flu

The phrase 'Asiatic flu' is a straightforward combination of 'Asiatic' (relating to Asia) and 'flu' (influenza), so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer it denotes an influenza associated with Asia. This compositional, language-neutral mapping (seen as 'Asian flu' in many languages) makes the expression immediately understandable without prior exposure.

Etymology

Asiatic flu comes from doctors first finding the illness in Asia in 1957. The part Asiatic points to Asia and flu means the illness, so the phrase came to mean 'a flu pandemic first identified in Asia in 1957'.