malencolie

Middle English

Alternative forms

• malencolye, malancolie, malancolye, malyncoly, malencoly, malencoli, melancolye, melancolie

Etymology

From Old French melancolie, from Late Latin melancholia, from Ancient Greek μελαγχολία (melankholía). Many forms of this word show influence from Old French mal (“bad”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /malənˈkɔːliː(ə)/, /maˈlɛnkɔliː(ə)/, /mɛlənˈkɔːliː(ə)/, /mɛˈlɛnkɔliː(ə)/

Noun

malencolie (uncountable)

1. Black bile as one of the four cardinal humours believed to influence health and mood.
2. The mood or psychological state believed to result from the influence of black bile:
   1. Ire, wroth, fury: the state of being or feeling angry or ireful.
   2. (Late Middle English) Melancholy, sadness, depression, or gloominess; the state of feeling sad.
3. A supposed affliction caused by an excessive amount or quantity of black bile.

Related terms

• malencolien
• malencolik
• malencolious

Descendants

• English: melancholy (remodelled after Latin)

References

• “malencolī(e, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-12-09.

Adjective

malencolie

1. Tending to be under the influence of black bile.
2. Made of or containing black bile or melancholy.
3. Having one's mood changed by black bile; depressed or raging.
4. (rare) Due to the influence of black bile.

Descendants

• English: melancholy (remodelled after Latin)
• Scots: melancholy (remodelled after Latin)
• Yola: malaunchly (remodelled after Latin)

References

• “malencolī(e, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-12-09.

See also

• (four humours) flewme,‎ coler,‎ malencolie,‎ sanguine ^[edit]