Etymology Explorer › Old French

Where does “melancolie” come from?

melancolie (Old French) comes from Late Latin melancholia, 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.

melancolie (Old French): melancholy; melancholy; black bile

Definitions

  1. melancholy; melancholy; black bile

Ancestry of “melancolie”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Late Latinmelancholia—
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 “melancolie”

  • melancholy
  • melancholily
  • melancholize
  • melancholiness
  • melancholist
  • unmelancholy
  • mélancolie
  • メランコリー
  • malencolie
  • melancolie
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃- →