melum

Latin

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek μῆλον (mêlon). Doublet of mālum, from dialectal Ancient Greek μᾶλον (mâlon). First attested in Petronius.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈme.lum/, [ˈmɛɫ̪ʊ̃ˑ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈme.lum/, [ˈmɛːlum]

Noun

mēlum n (genitive mēlī); second declension

1. apple

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

	singular	plural
nominative	mēlum	mēla
genitive	mēlī	mēlōrum
dative	mēlō	mēlīs
accusative	mēlum	mēla
ablative	mēlō	mēlīs
vocative	mēlum	mēla

Synonyms

• mālum

Related terms

• *mēlus

Descendants

• Aromanian: mer, meru
• Italian: mela
• Friulian: mêl
• Neapolitan: mìlo, méla
• Romanian: măr
• Romansch: mel, mail, meil
• Sassarese: mera
• Spanish: mela

References

• Alkire, Ti, Rosen, Carol (2010) Romance Languages: A Historical Introduction, University of Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, page 258
• Grandgent, Charles Hall (1907) An Introduction to Vulgar Latin (Heath's Modern Language Series), D. C. Heath & Company, page 195