Etymology Explorer › Late Latin

Where does “melancholicus” come from?

melancholicus (Late Latin) comes from Ancient Greek μελαγχολικός, from Ancient Greek μελαγχολία, from Ancient Greek μελάγχολος, from Ancient Greek χόλος, from Ancient Greek χολή, from Proto-Hellenic kʰolā́, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰolh₃-éh₂, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃- — to flourish; green, yellow.

Ancestry of “melancholicus”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient Greekμελαγχολικόςatrabilious, impulsive, of atrabilious or...
2Ancient Greekμελαγχολίαmelancholy, atrabiliousness
3Ancient Greekμελάγχολοςdipped in black bile
4Ancient Greekχόλος—
5Ancient Greekχολήgall, bile; gall bladder; bitterness, wrath,...
6Proto-Hellenickʰolā́gall, bile
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰolh₃-éh₂—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰelh₃-to flourish; green, yellow

Words derived from “melancholicus”

  • melancólicamente
  • melancólico
  • melancolicamente
  • melancólico
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃- →