atra bilis

Latin

Etymology

From ātra the nominative feminine of āter (“dark, black”) + bīlis (“bile”). Calque of Ancient Greek μελαγχολία (melankholía, “atrabiliousness”), from μέλας (mélas, “black, dark, murky”) and χολή (kholḗ, “bile”) since according to early physiology, the excess of black bile in the human body was to result in melancholy. Compare English melancholy.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) 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, meaning melancholy, sadness, dejection

   Bilem atram generantes, quos μελαγχολικοὺς vocant.

   Generating a black bile which they call μελαγχολία.

   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.

Declension

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

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	ātra bīlis	ātrae bīlēs
Genitive	ātrae bīlis	ātrārum bīlium
Dative	ātrae bīlī	ātrīs bīlibus
Accusative	ātram bīlem	ātrās bīlēs ātrās bīlīs
Ablative	ātrā bīle	ātrīs bīlibus
Vocative	ātra bīlis	ātrae bīlēs

Synonyms

• (black bile): nigra bīlis

Descendants

• English: atrabilarious
• French: atrabilaire
• Spanish: atrabiliario