melancholy

IPA(Pronunciation)

/ˈmelənkəli/

Noun

countable historical uncountable

(historical) Black bile, formerly thought to be one of the four "cardinal humours" of animal bodies. / Great sadness or depression, especially of a thoughtful or introspective nature.

Japanese Meaning

（歴史的な意味）かつて、動物の身体を構成する四大体液の一つと考えられていた黒胆汁を指す。 / 深い悲しみや落ち込み、特に内省的な性質による感情状態を表す。

What is this buttons?

In medical texts from the Renaissance, melancholy was blamed as the black bile that unbalanced the four humours.

Google Translation / DeepL Translation

ルネサンス期の医学書では、黒胆汁が四体液の不均衡をもたらすと考えられていた。

Details

Sense（1）

(historical) Black bile, formerly thought to be one of the four "cardinal humours" of animal bodies.

, Bk.I, New York 2001, p.148:

Melancholy, cold and dry, thick, black, and sour, […] is a bridle to the other two hot humours, blood and choler, preserving them in the blood, and nourishing the bones.

Google Translation / DeepL Translation