DictionaryRoot: melas
Greek
melas
black
1 / 4
noun
melancholia
mel-un-KOH-lee-uh/ˌmelənˈkəʊliə/
A state of deep sadness or depression.
Etymology
The roots mean “black bile,” which ancient medicine believed could cause depression when abnormal or excessive. That supposed bodily cause supplied the name for the depressive mental state.