plaga

See also: plága, plagá, plagă, and plåga

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin plāga (hence English plague). Cognate with Italian piaga, Spanish llaga, Romanian plagă, Galician and Portuguese chaga, French plaie, and more distantly with Ancient Greek πληγή (plēgḗ, “wound”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern, Balearic, Central) [ˈpla.ɣə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia, Northwestern) [ˈpla.ɣa]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Noun

plaga f (plural plagues)

1. plague
2. jokester

Further reading

• “plaga”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “plaga”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026
• “plaga” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “plaga”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan)

Icelandic

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈpʰlaːɣa]

  Rhymes: -aːɣa

Verb

plaga (weak verb, third-person singular past indicative plagaði, supine plagað)

1. to bother, plague

Conjugation

plaga – active voice (germynd)

infinitive nafnháttur		að plaga
supine sagnbót		plagað
present participle lýsingarháttur nútíðar		plagandi
		indicative framsöguháttur			subjunctive viðtengingarháttur
		present nútíð	past þátíð		present nútíð	past þátíð
singular	ég	plaga	plagaði		plagi	plagaði
	þú	plagar	plagaðir		plagir	plagaðir
	hann, hún, það	plagar	plagaði		plagi	plagaði
plural	við	plögum	plöguðum		plögum	plöguðum
	þið	plagið	plöguðuð		plagið	plöguðuð
	þeir, þær, þau	plaga	plöguðu		plagi	plöguðu
		imperative boðháttur
singular	þú	plaga (þú), plagaðu
plural	þið	plagið (þið), plagiði1

¹ Spoken form, usually not written; in writing, the unappended plural form (optionally followed by the full pronoun) is preferred.

plagast – mediopassive voice (miðmynd)

infinitive nafnháttur		að plagast
supine sagnbót		plagast
present participle lýsingarháttur nútíðar		plagandist (rare; see appendix)
		indicative framsöguháttur			subjunctive viðtengingarháttur
		present nútíð	past þátíð		present nútíð	past þátíð
singular	ég	plagast	plagaðist		plagist	plagaðist
	þú	plagast	plagaðist		plagist	plagaðist
	hann, hún, það	plagast	plagaðist		plagist	plagaðist
plural	við	plögumst	plöguðumst		plögumst	plöguðumst
	þið	plagist	plöguðust		plagist	plöguðust
	þeir, þær, þau	plagast	plöguðust		plagist	plöguðust
		imperative boðháttur
singular	þú	plagast (þú), plagastu
plural	þið	plagist (þið), plagisti1

¹ Spoken form, usually not written; in writing, the unappended plural form (optionally followed by the full pronoun) is preferred.

plagaður — past participle (lýsingarháttur þátíðar)

strong declension (sterk beyging)	singular (eintala)			plural (fleirtala)
	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)
nominative (nefnifall)	plagaður	plöguð	plagað	plagaðir	plagaðar	plöguð
accusative (þolfall)	plagaðan	plagaða	plagað	plagaða	plagaðar	plöguð
dative (þágufall)	plöguðum	plagaðri	plöguðu	plöguðum	plöguðum	plöguðum
genitive (eignarfall)	plagaðs	plagaðrar	plagaðs	plagaðra	plagaðra	plagaðra
weak declension (veik beyging)	singular (eintala)			plural (fleirtala)
	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)
nominative (nefnifall)	plagaði	plagaða	plagaða	plöguðu	plöguðu	plöguðu
accusative (þolfall)	plagaða	plöguðu	plagaða	plöguðu	plöguðu	plöguðu
dative (þágufall)	plagaða	plöguðu	plagaða	plöguðu	plöguðu	plöguðu
genitive (eignarfall)	plagaða	plöguðu	plagaða	plöguðu	plöguðu	plöguðu

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin plaga (“tract, region, quarter, zone”). Compare piaggia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpla.ɡa/
• Rhymes: -aɡa
• Hyphenation: plà‧ga

Noun

plaga f (plural plaghe)

1. region, district
2. (obsolete) beach

Latin

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *pel-

Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂g-

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *pl(e)h₂géh₂

Proto-Italic *plāgā

Latin plāga

From Proto-Italic *plāgā, from Proto-Indo-European *pl(e)h₂géh₂, from *pleh₂g-, an extension of *pel- (“to beat, push”). Related to plangō (“to strike”). Cognate with Albanian plojë (“slaughter; bloodletting”) and Ancient Greek πληγή (plēgḗ, “blow, stroke”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈpɫaː.ɡa]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈplaː.ɡa]

Noun

plāga f (genitive plāgae); first declension

1. plague, misfortune

   Synonyms: malum, cruciātus, nūbēs, miseria, īnfortūnium, calamitās, cāsus, vulnus

2. stroke, blow, cut, strike

   Synonyms: verber, ictus, vulnus

   Near-synonym: colaphus

3. wound, gash, injury

   Synonyms: vulnus, noxa, incommoditās, damnum

Declension

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	plāga	plāgae
genitive	plāgae	plāgārum
dative	plāgae	plāgīs
accusative	plāgam	plāgās
ablative	plāgā	plāgīs
vocative	plāga	plāgae

Descendants

• Insular Romance:
  • Sardinian: piae, piaga, plaga, praga, prae, pra
• Balkano-Romance:
  • Aromanian: pleagã, plaghe
  • Romanian: plagă
• Italo-Romance:
  • Italian: piaga
  • Sicilian: chiaga
• Rhaeto-Romance:
  • Friulian: plae
  • Romansh: plaja, plaga, plaia, pleja
• Gallo-Romance:
  • Northern:
    • Old French: plaie, pleie (Anglo-Norman)
      • French: plaie
  • Southern:
    • Catalan: plaga
    • Occitan: plaga
• Ibero-Romance:
  • Old Galician-Portuguese: chaga
    • Galician: chaga
    • Portuguese: chaga (see there for further descendants)
  • Old Spanish: llaga
    • Ladino: yaga / ייאגה
    • Spanish: llaga
• → Albanian: plagë
• → Proto-Brythonic: *plaɣ (from Vulgar Latin plăga)
  • Middle Welsh: pla
    • Welsh: pla
• → Middle Dutch: plāghe
  • Dutch: plaag
• → Old Dutch: plāgon
  • Middle Dutch: plâgen
    • Dutch: plagen
    • Limburgish: plaoge
• → Old French: plage
  • → Middle English: plage, plaghe, ploge, plaga, plagam (Latinate)
    • English: plague
    • Scots: plague
    • Yola: plaague, plaauge
• → Old Galician-Portuguese: praga
  • Portuguese: praga
• → Middle Low German: plage
  • → Danish: plage
  • → Norwegian Bokmål: plage
  • → Norwegian Nynorsk: plage
• → Middle High German: plāge, pflāge
  • German: Plage
• → Old Irish: plág
  • Irish: plá
  • Manx: plaih
  • Scottish Gaelic: plàigh
• → Old Norse: plága
  • Danish: plage
  • Icelandic: plága
  • Norwegian Bokmål: plage
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: plage
  • Swedish: plåga
• → Polish: plaga
• → Spanish: plaga

Etymology 2

Apparently from a Proto-Indo-European *plag-, and cognate with Ancient Greek πλάγος (plágos, “side, flank”), Proto-Germanic *flakaz (“flat, smooth”), though the existence of such a root and its potential relation to Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂- (“flat, broad, plain”) raises formal issues.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈpɫa.ɡa]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈplaː.ɡa]

Noun

plaga f (genitive plagae); first declension

2. tract, region, quarter, zone
   • (Can we date this quote?) Attributed to Ennius by Cicero in De divinatione, Book II, Chapter XIII

     Quod est ante pedes nemo spectat, caeli scrutantur plagas.

     What is before the feet, noone regards; the skies are searched in the regions.

Declension

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	plaga	plagae
genitive	plagae	plagārum
dative	plagae	plagīs
accusative	plagam	plagās
ablative	plagā	plagīs
vocative	plaga	plagae

Descendants

• ⇒ Late Latin: plagia
  • Corsican: piaghja
  • Dalmatian: plui
  • Italian: piaggia
  • Old French:
    • French: plage (see there for further descendants)
    • Walloon: pladje
  • Old Occitan:
    • Catalan: platja
    • Occitan: plaja
  • Old Galician-Portuguese: praia, praya
    • Fala: playa
    • Galician: praia
    • Portuguese: praia, praya (obsolete)
      • → Hong Kong English: praya
      • → Hunsrik: Praia
      • → Nheengatu: praya
  • Old Spanish:
    • Spanish: playa, plasha (pronunciation spelling, representing Rioplatense Spanish)
      • ⇒ Cebuano: aplaya
      • → English: playa
      • → Papiamentu: playa
      • → Swedish: playa
      • ⇒ Tagalog: aplaya
    • → Basque: plaia
  • Sicilian: praja
• → Italian: plaga
• → Portuguese: plaga

Etymology 3

From Proto-Indo-European *plek- (“to weave”). Cognate with Ancient Greek πλέκω (plékō, “braid”). (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈpɫa.ɡa]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈplaː.ɡa]

Noun

plaga f (genitive plagae); first declension (chiefly plural only)

1. a hunting net, web, used to set traps, snares

   Synonyms: rēte, cassis

   Near-synonym: tēla

   • c. 206 BCE, Plautus, Miles Gloriosus 608–609:

     Sed speculabor, ne quis aut hinc aut ab laeva aut dextera
     nostro consilio venator adsit cum auritis plagis.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 4.131:

     [...] rētia rāra, plagae, lātō vēnābula ferrō, [...].

     [Young hunters carrying] wide-meshed nets, traps, [and] hunting spears [tipped] with broad blades, [...].
     (The only appearance of this word in Virgil’s poetry. The “rētia rāra” are thin or widely-woven nets; in context, the “plagae” may be understood as stronger nets, snares, traps, or even ropes for securing the “retia.” Translations vary.)

   • 23 BCE – 13 BCE, Horatius, Carmina 3.5.32:

     Si pugnat extricata densis
     cerva plagis, erit ille fortis
     qui perfidis se credidit hostibus
     et Marte Poenos proteret altero; […]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   1. (figuratively):

      Synonyms: trānsenna, laqueus, rēte, cassis, pedica

      • c. 206 BCE, Plautus, Miles Gloriosus 4.9.11:

        Ipsus illic sese iam impedivit in plagas; […]

        (please add an English translation of this quotation)

      • 45 BCE, Cicero, Academica 48:

        Posthac tamen, cum haec quaeremus, potius de dissensionibus tantis summorum uirorum disseramus, de obscuritate naturae deque errore tot philosophorum, qui de bonis contrariisque rebus tanto opere discrepant, ut, cum plus uno uerum esse non possit, iacere necesse sit tot tam nobilis disciplinas, quam de oculorum sensuumque reliquorum mendaciis et de sorite aut pseudomeno, quas plagas ipsi contra se Stoici texuerunt.

        (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. (pre-classical, only attested in glosses from Varro by Nonius) bedcurtain, curtain

   Synonym: plagula

Declension

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	plaga	plagae
genitive	plagae	plagārum
dative	plagae	plagīs
accusative	plagam	plagās
ablative	plagā	plagīs
vocative	plaga	plagae

Derived terms

• plagiō
• plagium
• plagula

Related terms

• plectō
• -plex
• plicō

Further reading

• “plaga¹”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “plaga²”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “plaga³”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “plaga”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894), Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to inflict a death-blow: plagam extremam or mortiferam infligere
    
  • to inflict a mortal wound on some one: mortiferam plagam alicui infligere
    
• "plaga", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• plaga, in ΛΟΓΕΙΟΝ [Logeion] Dictionaries for Ancient Greek and Latin (in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Chinese), University of Chicago, since 2011

Norwegian Bokmål

Alternative forms

• plagen (of noun)

(of verb)

• plaget
• plagde (simple past)
• plagd (past participle)

Noun

plaga m or f

1. definite feminine singular of plage

Verb

plaga

1. inflection of plage:
   1. simple past
   2. past participle

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

plaga f

1. definite singular of plage

Polish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *pel-

Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂g-

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *pl(e)h₂géh₂

Proto-Italic *plāgā

Latin plāgalbor.

Polish plaga

Learned borrowing from Latin plāga. Doublet of płacz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpla.ɡa/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɡa
• Syllabification: pla‧ga

Noun

plaga f

1. plague

   Synonym: zaraza

2. nuisance

Declension

Declension of plaga

	singular	plural
nominative	plaga	plagi
genitive	plagi	plag
dative	pladze	plagom
accusative	plagę	plagi
instrumental	plagą	plagami
locative	pladze	plagach
vocative	plago	plagi

Further reading

• “plaga”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[2] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “plaga”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[3] (in Polish)

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin plāga.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpla.ɡɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpla.ɡɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpla.ɡa/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈpla.ɡɐ/ [ˈpla.ɣɐ]

• Hyphenation: pla‧ga

Noun

plaga f (plural plagas)

1. (formal) region, country

   Synonyms: região, país

Further reading

• “plaga”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “plaga”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈplaɡa/ [ˈpla.ɣ̞a]
• Rhymes: -aɡa
• Syllabification: pla‧ga

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *pel-

Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂g-

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *pl(e)h₂géh₂

Proto-Italic *plāgā

Latin plāgalbor.

Spanish plaga

Learned borrowing from Latin plāga. Doublet of llaga.

Noun

plaga f (plural plagas)

1. plague

   Synonym: peste

2. nuisance

   Synonyms: molestia, engorro

Derived terms

• evitar como la plaga

Related terms

• plagado
• plagar
• plaguicida

Etymology 2

Verb

plaga

1. inflection of plagar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “plaga”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025