DictionaryRoot: melas
Greek

melas

black

2 / 4
Older South Asian woman wistfully holds an old photograph.
noun / adjective

melancholy

MEL-uhn-kah-lee/ˈmelənkɑːli/

Deep, thoughtful sadness.

Etymology

“Black bile” was once blamed for a gloomy disposition. As belief in that medical explanation faded, the word retained its emotional meaning: a lingering sadness rather than a bodily substance.

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