Of the root ط ع ن (ṭ ʕ n). The pattern suggests a borrowing from Classical Syriac ܛܳܥܘܿܢܳܐ (ṭāʿōnā) from ܛܥܷܢ (ṭʿen, “to carry”), related to Arabic ظَعَنَ (ẓaʕana, “to depart”), though the Syriac is not known to mean a disease but “carrier”. The semantic evolution would either be via “to carry as a burden, to endure“ with the ailment understood as hardship, or via “transport” developing the meaning of transmission, the plague being transmitted quickly by vectors. Compare also the other Arabic name of the disease, مُوتَان (mūtān) from another Semitic language.