μέλᾱς (μέλᾰς [
Refs 3rd c.BC+];
genitive μέλᾰνος, μελαίνης, μέλᾰνος, etc;
Epic dialect dative μείλανι (for the sake of meter) [
Refs 8th c.BC+]:
Aeolic dialect nominative μέλαις, from *μέλανς, [
Refs 7th c.BC+]:—
black, dark: in [
Refs 8th c.BC+] generally,
dark in colour, οἶνος [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; μέλαν αἷμα, κῦμα, [
Refs 8th c.BC+], from its being
pitched over, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; of men,
dark, swarthy, μέλανας δὲ ἀνδρικοὺς ἰδεῖν [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὰ μ.
black marks about the ears of dogs, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II)
dark, murky, ἕσπερος [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
III)
metaphorically,
black, dark, θάνατος [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὀδύναι [
Refs]; μ. τύχα, ἀρά, [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; Ἅιδης [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἡμέραι μέλαιναι, = Latin
dies atri, [
Refs 1st c.AD+]
III.2) of the voice,
indistinct, [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; βραχὺ καὶ μ. φώνημα, of Nero, [
Refs 2nd c.AD+]
III.3)
dark, obscure, enigmatical, ἱστορίη [
Refs 1st c.AD+]
III.4) of character,
dark, malignant, μ. φρήν, καρδία, [
Refs 6th c.BC+]; μ. ἦθος M. Ant.4.28.
IV)
comparative μελάντερος, α, ον,
blacker, very black, τοῦ δ᾽ οὔ τι μελάντερον ἔπλετο ἔσθος [
Refs 8th c.BC+]:
superlative μελάντατος [
Refs 5th c.BC+]:—
comparative also μελανώτερος [
Refs 1st c.BC+]:
superlative μελαινότατος [
Refs 1st c.AD+]
V)
μέλαινα (i.e. νοῦσος), ἡ, in Medicine texts, of diseases causing black secretions (such as
melaena), [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
VI) μέλαν, τό, see entry (Cf. Sanskrit
málam 'dirt',
malinás 'dirty', Lett.
melns 'black'.)