μέλας: Difference between revisions

|Definition=(<br><span class="bld">A</span> μέλᾰς Rhian.58, where [[μέγας]] is corrupt for [[μέλας]]), μέλαινα, μέλᾰν; gen. μέλᾰνος, μελαίνης, μέλᾰνος, etc.; Ep. dat. μείλανι (metri gr.) Il.24.79: Aeol. nom. μέλαις, from *μέλανς, Choerob. ''in Theod.'' 1.123, Greg.Cor.p.599 S., hence restored in Sapph.57:—[[black]], [[dark]]: in Hom. generally, [[dark]] in [[colour]], [[οἶνος]] Od.5.265; μέλαν [[αἷμα]], [[κῦμα]], Il.4.149, 23.693; [[γαῖα]] μέλαινα 2.699, cf. Sapph.''Supp.''5.2; [[ὕδωρ]] μέλαν Αἰσήποιο Il.2.825, cf. Od.4.359, [[νηῦς]] μέλας, from its being [[pitch]]ed over, Il.1.300, al.; of men, [[dark]], [[swarthy]], μέλανας δὲ ἀνδρικοὺς ἰδεῖν [[Plato|Pl.]]''[[Republic|R.]]'' 474e; ἰσχυρός τις ἦν, μ. D.21.71; [[τὰ μέλανα]] = [[black marks]] about the ears of dogs, X.''Cyn.''5.23.<br><span class="bld">II</span> [[dark]], [[murky]], [[ἕσπερος]] Od.1.423; εὐφρόνα Pi.''N.''7.3.<br><span class="bld">III</span> metaph., [[black]], [[dark]], [[θάνατος]] Il.2.834, etc.; [[κήρ]] ib.859, etc.; ὀδύναι 4.117, etc. (the origin of the metaphor is seen in the phrases θανάτου μέλαν [[νέφος]], ἄχεος [[νεφέλη]] μέλαινα, 16. 350, 18.22); <b class="b3">μ. τύχα, ἀρά</b>, A.''Supp.''89 (lyr.), ''Th.''832 (lyr.); [[Ἐρινύς]] ib.993 (lyr.), cf. ''Eu.''52; ἄτα Id.''Ag.''769 (lyr.); [[Ἄρης]] ib.1511 (lyr.); Ἅιδης S.''OT''29; Ἅιδου μ. ἀνάγκα E.''Hipp.''1388 (lyr.), etc.; <b class="b3">ἡμέραι μέλαιναι</b>, = Lat. [[dies atri]], Plu.''Luc.''27.<br><span class="bld">2</span> of the voice, [[indistinct]], Arist.''Top.''106a25, Philostr.''VA''4.44; βραχὺ καὶ μέλαν [[φώνημα]], of [[Nero]], D.C.61.20.<br><span class="bld">3</span> [[dark]], [[obscure]], [[enigmatical]], [[ἱστορίη]] ''AP''11.347 (Phil.).<br><span class="bld">4</span> of character, [[dark]], [[malignant]], μ. [[φρήν]], [[καρδία]], Sol.42.4, Pi.''Fr.''123.4; μ. ἄνθρωποι Plu.2.12d; μέλαν [[ἦθος]] M. Ant.4.28.<br><span class="bld">IV</span> Comp. [[μελάντερος]], [[μελαντέρα]], [[μελάντερον]], [[blacker]], [[very black]], τοῦ δ' οὔ τι μελάντερον ἔπλετο [[ἔσθος]] Il.24.94: [[proverb|prov.]] of [[thick]] [[darkness]], [[νέφος]] μελάντερον ἠΰτε [[πίσσα]] (v. [[ἠΰτε]]) 4.277: Sup. [[μελάντατος]] Hp. ''VC''14, Ar.''Fr.''580, etc.:—Comp. also [[μελανώτερος]] Str.16.4.12: Sup. [[μελαινότατος]] ''AP''11.68 (Lucill.), ''Epigr.Gr.''320.4 (Thyatira).<br><span class="bld">V</span> μέλαινα (''[[sc.]]'' [[νοῦσος]]), ἡ, Medic., of [[disease]]s causing [[black]] [[secretion]]s (such as [[melaena]]), Hp.''Morb.''2.73.<br><span class="bld">VI</span> [[μέλαν]], τό, v. sub voc. (Cf. Skt. málam '[[dirt]]', malinás '[[dirty]]', Lett. melns 'black'.)