Melissa

See also: melissa and Mélissa

Translingual

Melissa officinalis

Etymology

Ancient Greek μέλισσα (mélissa, “honey bee”) (compare Melissa), which in turn comes from μέλι (méli, “honey”).

Proper noun

Melissa f

1. A taxonomic genus within the family Lamiaceae – lemon balm.

Hypernyms

• (genus): Eukaryota - superkingdom; Plantae - kingdom; Viridiplantae - subkingdom; Streptophyta - infrakingdom; Embryophyta - superphylum; Tracheophyta - phylum; Spermatophytina - subphylum; angiosperms, eudicots, core eudicots, asterids, euasterids I - clades; Lamiales - order; Lamiaceae - family; Nepetoideae - subfamily; Mentheae - tribe; Salvinae - subtribe

Hyponyms

• (genus): Melissa officinalis - type species; Melissa axillaris, Melissa bicornis, Melissa flava, Melissa yunnanensis - other species

References

• Melissa (plant) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Melissa on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Melissa (Lamiaceae) on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
• Melissa at USDA Plants database

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English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek μέλισσα (mélissa, “bee, honey, or honeybee”). In Ireland it is sometimes used as a feminine form of the Gaelic male name Maol Íosa (literally “servant of Jesus”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /məˈlɪsə/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪsə

Proper noun

Melissa

1. (Greek mythology) Bee-nymph in Greek mythology.
2. A female given name from Ancient Greek. Popular in the latter half of the 20th century.
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Qveene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for VVilliam Ponsonbie, OCLC 960102938, book 6, canto XII:

     And her owne handmayd, that Melissa hight / Appointed to attend her dewly day and night

   • 1840 April – 1841 November, Charles Dickens, “(please specify the chapter number or name)”, in The Old Curiosity Shop. A Tale. […], London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1841, OCLC 1109979921:

     Miss Melissa Wackles was the eldest daughter, Miss Sophy the next, and Miss Jane the youngest.

   • 1959, Nicholas Blake, The Widow's Cruise, page 9:

     - - - by Mrs. Melissa Blaydon and Miss Ianthe Ambrose.
     "Well, they may be sisters," said Nigel. "Those elegant, classical Christian names suggest one father.

Translations

female given name

• Albanian: Meljisa f
• Cherokee: ᎺᎵᏌ (melisa)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 梅麗莎 (Méilìshā)

  Mandarin: 梅利莎 (Méilìshā)

• Danish: Melissa
• Finnish: Melissa (fi)
• French: Mélissa (fr)
• German: Melissa (de)
• Greek: Μέλισσα (el) f (Mélissa)
• Irish: Maolíosa

• Italian: Melissa (it)
• Japanese: メリッサ (Merissa)
• Korean: 멜리사 (Mellisa)
• Persian: ملیسا‎ (Melisâ)
• Portuguese: Melissa (pt) f
• Russian: Мелисса (ru) f (Melissa)
• Serbo-Croatian: Мелиса f, Melisa (sh) f
• Swedish: Melissa (sv) c
• Thai: เมลิสสา (Melis̄s̄ā)
• Turkish: Melisa

See also

• Melitta (< μέλιττα (mélitta))

Anagrams

• Esmails, Maisels, Milases, Salemis, aimless, mesails, samiels, seismal

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Danish

Proper noun

Melissa

1. A female given name, equivalent to English Melissa.

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German

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Proper noun

Melissa

1. A female given name, equivalent to English Melissa

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Italian

Proper noun

Melissa f

1. A female given name, equivalent to English Melissa

Anagrams

• limasse, messali

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Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin Melissa, from Ancient Greek Μέλισσα (Mélissa), from μέλισσα (mélissa, “bee”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Brazil) /meˈli.sɐ/, [meˈli.sɐ]

• IPA^(key): (Portugal) /mɨˈli.sɐ/, [mɨˈli.sɐ]

Proper noun

Melissa f

1. A female given name from Ancient Greek, equivalent to English Melissa
2. (Greek mythology) Melissa (nymph who discovered and taught the use of honey)

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Swedish

Proper noun

Melissa c (genitive Melissas)

1. A female given name, equivalent to English Melissa.