atra bilis

Latin

Etymology

Calque of Ancient Greek μελαγχολία (melankholía, “atrabiliousness”), from μέλας (mélas, “black, dark, murky”) and χολή (kholḗ, “bile”). According to early physiology, the excess of black bile in the human body resulted in sadness.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈaː.tra ˈbiː.lis/, [ˈäːt̪rä ˈbiːlʲɪs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈa.tra ˈbi.lis/, [ˈäːt̪rä ˈbiːlis]

Noun

ātra bīlis f (genitive ātrae bīlis); third declension

1. black bile

   Synonym: nigra bīlis

   Bilem atram generantes, quos μελαγχολικοὺς vocant.

   (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   Delirat uxor. - Ātrā bīlī percita est.

   My wife is deranged! - It's caused by the black bile.

   Atra bilis agitat hominem.

   Melancholy makes men mad.

2. (transferred sense) melancholy, sadness, dejection

Declension

First-declension adjective with a third-declension noun (i-stem), singular only.

Case	Singular
Nominative	ātra bīlis
Genitive	ātrae bīlis
Dative	ātrae bīlī
Accusative	ātram bīlem
Ablative	ātrā bīle
Vocative	ātra bīlis

Descendants

• → French: atrabile (learned)