英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

meistersinger (n.)[meistersinger 词源字典]: 1845, from German Meistersinger, literally "master singer;" see master (adj.) + singer.[meistersinger etymology, meistersinger origin, 英语词源]
Mekong: river in Southeast Asia, Thai, from me "mother" + khong "river, large stream."
melancholia (n.): 1690s, from Modern Latin melancholia (see melancholy).
melancholiac (n.): 1863, from melancholy. Earlier in same sense was melancholian (mid-14c.).
melancholic (adj.): late 14c., from melancholy + -ic, or else from Late Latin melancholicus, from Greek melankholikos "choleric," from melankholia âsadnessâ (see melancholy). As a noun, from 1580s. Earlier adjective formation was melancholian (mid-14c.), and melancholiac (mid-19c.) also was tried.
melancholy (n.): c. 1300, "condition characterized by sullenness, gloom, irritability," from Old French melancolie "black bile, ill disposition, anger, annoyance" (13c.), from Late Latin melancholia, from Greek melankholia "sadness," literally (excess of) "black bile," from melas (genitive melanos) "black" (see melanin) + khole "bile" (see Chloe). Medieval physiology attributed depression to excess of "black bile," a secretion of the spleen and one of the body's four "humors."

The Latin word also is the source of Spanish melancolia, Italian melancolia, German Melancholie, Danish melankoli, etc. Old French variant malencolie (also in Middle English) is by false association with mal "sickness."
melancholy (adj.): late 14c., "with or caused by black bile; sullen, gloomy, sad," from melancholy (n.); sense of "deplorable" (of a fact or state of things) is from 1710.
Melanesia: one of three large divisions of Pacific islands, 1840, from a continental language, from melano- + nesos "island" (see Chersonese) + -ia. Modeled after Polynesia and meant to signify "the islands inhabited by blacks."
La Melanesia comprende la grande isola Australia, e quelle degli arcipelaghi di Salomone, di Lapèrouse, di Quiros, e dei gruppi della Nuova Caledonia, di Norfolk, e della Diemenin. A cagione dei Neri Oceanici, che, quasi esclusivamente, ne popolano le regioni, questa parte della Oceania ebbe dai moderni geografi e viaggiatori (il Graberg, il Rienzi, il d'Urville, ec.) il nome di Melanesia. ["Corso di Geografia Universale," Firenze, 1839]
Melanesian (adj.): 1840, from Melanesia + -ian.
melange (n.): 1650s, from French mélange (15c.), from mêler "to mix, mingle," from Old French mesler (see meddle).
melanin (n.): dark brown or black pigment found in animal bodies, 1832, Modern Latin, with chemical suffix -in (2); first element from Greek melas (genitive melanos) "black," from PIE root *mel- (2) "of darkish color" (cognates: Sanskrit malinah "dirty, stained, black," Lithuanian melynas "blue," Latin mulleus "reddish"). Related: Melanism; melanistic.
melanism (n.): 1843, from melano- + -ism.
melano-: word-forming element meaning "black," from Greek melano-, comb. form of melas (genitive melanos) "black, dark, murky" (see melanin).
melanoma (n.): "tumor containing melanin," 1826, medical Latin, from Greek melas (genitive melanos) "black" (see melanin) + -oma.
melanosis (n.): 1823, medical Latin, from Greek melanosis "a becoming black," from melanoun "to become black," from melas (genitive melanos); see melanin. Related: Melanotic.
melatonin (n.): 1958, from Greek melas "black, dark" (see melanin) + ending from serotonin. So called because its secretion is inhibited by sunlight.
Melba: in various food preparations, especially peach Melba (1905) and Melba toast (1925) is in honor of Nellie Melba, stage name (based on Melbourne, Australia) of Australian-born operatic soprano Helen Mitchell (1861-1931).
Melbourne: city in Australia, named 1837 for William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne (1779-1848) then British Prime Minister; the title is from Melbourne Hall, Derbyshire. The place name is literally "mill stream," Old English Mileburne (1086).
Melchior: masc. proper name, literally "king of light," from Hebrew melekh "king" + or "light."
Melchizedek: name of a priest-king in the Old Testament, from Hebrew Malki-tzedeq, literally "king of righteousness," from melekh "king;" second element related to tzadaq "he was righteous," tzaddiq "just, righteous."