pandemic (adj.)

"of or belonging to the people," especially "pertaining to the common people, popular, vulgar," 1822, from Latinized form of Greek dēmotikos "of or for the common people, in common use," from dēmos "common people," originally "district," from PIE *da-mo- "division," from root *da- "to divide." Originally in English it was used in reference to the simpler of two forms of ancient Egyptian writing (opposed to hieratic or hieroglyphic); the broader sense is by 1831. Used of the popular form of modern Greek since 1927.

c. 1600, "common to or affecting a whole people," originally and usually, though not etymologically, in reference to diseases, from French épidémique, from épidemié "an epidemic disease," from Medieval Latin epidemia, from Greek epidēmia "a stay in a place; prevalence of an epidemic disease" (especially the plague), from epi "among, upon" (see epi-) + dēmos "people, district" (see demotic). Also see -ic.