melic

English

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛlɪk/

Etymology 1

From Latin melicus, from Koine Greek μελικός (melikós), from Ancient Greek μέλος (mélos, “song, lyric”).

Adjective

melic (comparative more melic, superlative most melic)

1. Of or pertaining to Greek lyric verse. [from 17th c.]
   • 1962, JW Goethe, translated by WH Auden and Elizabeth Mayer, Italian Journey, Penguin, published 1970, page 315:

     I dined at their house, and in the evening, Miss Hart gave a demonstration of her musical and melic [translating melischen] talents.

Related terms

• melody
• melos

Etymology 2

From translingual Melica (genus name), probably from Italian melica, meliga (“sorghum, millet”).

Alternative forms

• melick

Noun

melic (plural melics)

1. Any of various grasses, of the genus Melica, from northern temperate regions. [from 18th c.]

Descendants

• → Welsh: meligwellt (“melic”)

Translations

grass

• Czech: strdivka f
• Finnish: helmikkä (fi)
• French: mélique (fr)
• Welsh: meligwellt m pl

Anagrams

• clime

Catalan

Etymology

Inherited from Latin umbilīcus, with rebracketing of l'omelic → lo melic. Doublet of llombrígol.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [məˈlik]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [meˈlik]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ik

Noun

melic m (plural melics)

1. navel

   Synonym: llombrígol

   • 2002, Albert Sánchez Piñol, chapter 13, in La pell freda, La Campana, →ISBN:

     Sovint em girava i una catifa de caps s'acumulava a l'alçada del meu melic.

     Often I turned around and a carpet of heads gathered at the height of my navel.

Further reading

• “melic” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
• “melic”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024