Melancholy
Melancholy
Melancholy (/ˈmɛlənkɒli/), from the Greek melan meaning black and khole meaning bile, is a term used to describe a prolonged form of sadness or depression. It is often associated with a reflective sadness, or feelings of pensiveness.
Etymology
The term melancholy originates from the Greek words melan (μέλας), meaning black, and khole (χολή), meaning bile. This is a reference to the ancient Hippocratic belief that our emotions were influenced by bodily fluids, or humors. In this context, an excess of black bile in the body was thought to cause a melancholic temperament.
Pronunciation
Melancholy is pronounced as /ˈmɛlənkɒli/.
Related Terms
- Depression: A mental health disorder characterized by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life.
- Dysthymia: A chronic form of depression where a person's moods are regularly low. However, symptoms are not as severe as with major depression.
- Bipolar Disorder: A disorder associated with episodes of mood swings ranging from depressive lows to manic highs.
- Sadness: An emotional pain associated with, or characterized by, feelings of disadvantage, loss, despair, grief, helplessness, disappointment and sorrow.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Melancholy
- Wikipedia's article - Melancholy
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