Contagious
late Middle English: from late Latin contagiosus, from contagio (see contagion).
wiktionary
From Old French contagieus, from Late Latin contagiosus, from contagio.
etymonline
contagious (adj.)
late 14c., "contaminating or contaminated, containing contagion" (of air, water, etc.); "communicable" (of disease); also "morally corrupting," from Old French contagieus (Modern French contagieux) and directly from Late Latin contagiosus, from Latin contagio "a touching, contact," often in a bad sense, "a contact with something physically or morally unclean, contagion," from contingere "to touch," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + tangere "to touch," from PIE root *tag- "to touch, handle." Figuratively applied to anything apt to spread from one to another (rumor, etc.) from 1650s. Related: Contagiously; contagiousness.
