Middle English Dictionary Entry

malencolī(e n.
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Entry Info

Forms malencolī(e n. Also malan-, malin-, mallen-, melan-, malencolli & malencolia, malan-, melan-, melen- & malecolie, malicoli(e.
Etymology OF melancolie, melen-, malen- & ML malencolia, malan-, melen-, CL melancholia; ult. Gr. Forms in OF, ML, and ME show influence of mal(e- prefix.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
(a) One of the four humors, black bile; a bodily fluid which helps to form and nourish the body; -- not pathological unless present in excessive amounts; also, an altered form of black bile [see (b)]; (b) kinde (kindeli, natural) ~, ~ natural, the normal, nutritive black bile; ~ innatural (nought natural), unkinde (unkindeli, unnatural) ~, black bile whose nature has been changed by heat within the body, by clotting or thickening, by hardening, or by improper admixture with other humors; also, a humor arising from the corruption of humors other than black bile; also (esp.Chauliac), a non-nutritive, usually non-pathological, form of black bile which is separated from the blood and collected in the spleen; ~ adust (adusta, forbrent), adust (brent) ~, black bile corrupted by heat within the body; ~ corrupt, black bile which has been corrupted; ~ endured, hardened black bile; ~ putrefied, rotten or decomposed black bile.
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2.
The complexion, or temperament, dominated by black bile, or melancholy; also, personified.
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3.
A mental disorder or emotional disease due to unnatural melancholy or to some excess in the natural humor; -- may be brought on by love, disappointment, etc.
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4.
(a) Anger, rage, hatred; (b) personified; (c) sorrow, gloom, anxiety.
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5.
The word malencolie.
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Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. kindly melancholy.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. melancholia.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. melancholy.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. adust melancholia.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. adust melancholy.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. burnt melancholy.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. corrupt melancholy.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. forburnt melancholy.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. innatural melancholia.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. innatural melancholy.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. kind melancholia.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. melancholy not natural.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. natural melancholia.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. natural melancholy.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. putrefied melancholy.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. unkind melancholy.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. unkindly melancholy.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. unnatural melancholy.

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