Mell-

Roots with similar meanings:

• dulc- meaning “sweet”

Roots with opposite meanings:

Roots that could be confused:

• meliss- meaning “bee”

Notes: Melon (which only has one “l”) is not derived from this root.

Derived English Words

Commonly encountered words are in bold.

Melliferous – Producing or yielding honey; honey-bearing.

Mellific – Having the quality or ability to produce honey.

Mellifluence – The quality of flowing like honey; sweetness in expression or sound.

Mellifluent – Flowing with honey; sweetly flowing.

Mellifluous – Sweet-sounding or smooth.

Melliloquent – Speaking in a sweet or honeyed manner. It refers to eloquent, smooth, or charming speech, often with a suggestion of insincerity.

Mellivorous – Feeding on honey.

Other Uses

Diabetes mellitus is a medical condition characterized by high blood sugar (glucose) levels over a prolonged period.

The term “mellitus” comes from the Latin word mellitus, meaning “honey-sweet,” due to the characteristic sweet taste of urine in people with uncontrolled diabetes, which was historically observed.

Apis mellifera – The scientific name for the European honeybee.

Several other genus or species of bee in the family Apidae have names beginning with “mell”.

Mellitella – A genus of small parasitic wasps in the family Ichneumonidae, named with reference to “mell” for their association with sweet substances.

Mellivora – The genus name for the honey badger, a carnivorous mammal that is known for its ability to raid beehives to consume honey.

Melignomon – A genus of honeyguides, a group of birds that guide people to wild bee hives.

Links

List of Greek and Latin roots in English – Wikipedia

Words Derived from Roots

Greek Alphabet

Other Roots Used in These Words

Root	Meaning
fer-	bear, carry
loq-	speak
vor–	eat