The term boils seems confusing. I initially associated it with the blisters caused by accidentally spilling boiling water on someone. Is there a more accurate and appropriate word in this context? Also, what exactly does "many" refer to?

We can imagine that the diet of the ordinary population was much less palatable, although it might have been healthier as many a noble court writer alludes to the boils and other maladies related to malnutrition which plagued the imperial court.

Question

The term boils seems confusing. I initially associated it with the blisters caused by accidentally spilling boiling water on someone. Is there a more accurate and appropriate word in this context? Also, what exactly does "many" refer to?

We can imagine that the diet of the ordinary population was much less palatable, although it might have been healthier as many a noble court writer alludes to the boils and other maladies related to malnutrition which plagued the imperial court.

Answer

A boil has nothing to do with boiling water. I don't know why it's called that. It's a skin condition caused by infected hair follicles, or something like that.

MANY refers to the court writers.      It's an interesting construction,  Example:

Many a young person tries to be an influencer.   . . . .  is just another way of saying
Many young people try to be influencers.

Answer

Good

Answer

A boil (noun) is a type of an infection under the skin. It fills the area with pus and makes a painful bump. The plural of boil is boils.

To boil is a verb meaning to raise the temperature of a liquid until it is so hot that it bubbles (100 C or 212 F).

If you spill boiling water on someone's skin, you cause heat damage called a burn. In this case, you could also use burn as an adjective. So:
The scar on his arm is from a burn he got in childhood.
OR
The scar on his arm is from when he was burned in childhood.

In the passage you quoted, "many a noble court writer" is almost the same as saying "many noble court writers." The difference is subtle. To me, "many a" suggests that over time it's not entirely uncommon for an individual court writer to do something. "Many court writers" gives more of the impression that at any given time it's common to see the writers doing something. But I suspect someone else can give a clearer explanation on that one.

I hope that helps!