ates ▁from ▁quar ant ena , ▁the ▁Ven et ian ▁language ▁form , ▁meaning ▁" fort y ▁days ". ▁This ▁is ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁ 4 0 - day ▁isol ation ▁of ▁ships ▁and ▁people ▁pract ised ▁as ▁a ▁measure ▁of ▁disease ▁prevent ion ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁pl ague . ▁Between ▁ 1 3 4 8 ▁and ▁ 1 3 5 9 , ▁the ▁Black ▁Death ▁w ip ed ▁out ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 3 0 % ▁of ▁Europe ' s ▁population , ▁and ▁a ▁significant ▁percentage ▁of ▁Asia ' s ▁population . ▁Such ▁a ▁dis aster ▁led ▁govern ments ▁to ▁establish ▁measures ▁of ▁contain ment ▁to ▁handle ▁rec urrent ▁ep ide m ics . ▁A ▁document ▁from ▁ 1 3 7 7 ▁states ▁that ▁before ▁entering ▁the ▁city - state ▁of ▁ ▁R ag usa ▁in ▁Dal mat ia ▁( mod ern ▁Dub rov nik ▁in ▁Cro atia ), ▁new com ers ▁had ▁to ▁spend ▁ 3 0 ▁days ▁( a ▁tr ent ine ) ▁in ▁a ▁restricted ▁place ▁( origin ally ▁nearby ▁islands ) ▁waiting ▁to ▁see ▁whether ▁the ▁sympt oms ▁of ▁Black ▁Death ▁would ▁develop . ▁In ▁ 1 4 4 8 ▁the ▁Ven et ian ▁Senate ▁prolong ed ▁the ▁waiting ▁period ▁to ▁ 4 0 ▁days , ▁thus ▁giving ▁birth ▁to ▁the ▁term ▁" qu ar antine ". ▁The ▁forty - day ▁quar antine ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁effective ▁formula ▁for ▁handling ▁out break s ▁of ▁the ▁pl ague . ▁Dub rov nik ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁city ▁in ▁Europe ▁to