AGUE

AGUE. The description of what became known as ague is found in the translation in Leviticus 26:16 (RSV, "fever") of the Hebrew word kaddah'ath, meaning "kindling", i.e., an inflammatory or burning fever. In Deuteronomy 28:22 the word is defined "fever." (1) Pronounced 'A-(")gyu with the accent solidly on the "A", the word "ague" is an example of how medical terminology changes with time. The earliest known use of the verb ague is in the mid 1600s. The Oxford English Dictionary's earliest evidence for ague is from 1636, in the writing of Thomas Heywood, playwright and poet. It is also recorded as a noun from the Middle English period (1150—1500). (2)

"Aigue" entered English usage in the 14th century, having crossed the channel perhaps from the Middle French "agu". The word shared the same origin as "acute." It descended from the Latin "acutus" meaning "sharp or pointed". A "fievre aigue" in French was a sharp or pointed (or acute) fever. (3)

Ague was a fever (such as from malaria) that was marked by chills, fever, and sweating recurring at regular intervals. It was also considered a fit of shivering, a chill. Ague could refer to both chills and fevers.

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Source:

1. King Jame's Bible Dictionary, Online: https://www.kingjamesbibledictionary.com/Dictionary/ague

2. Oxford English Dictionary, Online: https://www.oed.com/dictionary/ague_v?tl=true

3. Stopplër, Melissa Conrad Dr. ,"Definition of Ague," RXList. Online: https://www.rxlist.com/ague/definition.htmǍ