THE AMATEUR WORD NERD: This definition is pretty sweet

By Barbara McAllister

Word of the Day: Mellifluous

If a sound is described as mellifluous, it means it is sweet and pleasing. The root of this word is mel, the Latin word for honey. Fluere means to flow (like “fluid”), so a sound described as “mellifluous” is literally being described as sweet and flowing like honey.
The word “melody,” which seems likely to come from the same root actually comes from a different Greek word. Likewise, melancholy, mellow or melodrama. The only word I could find related to the original root of mel is the name Melissa.
The earliest records of humans eating honey are believed to date back 10,000 years. Prehistoric drawings found in caves and drawings found in Spain show what appear to be early forms of beekeeping. In ancient Egypt, people paid their taxes with honey. It is estimated that about one third of the food we eat is the result of honeybee pollination and humans would have difficulty surviving without them.
How did English end up with the word honey instead of miel like French or miele in Italian? Honey began to be described by its rich, amber color which was hunig in Old English.
Napoleon used the honeybee as a symbol of the power and prestige of his empire. Did you know Maine’s official state insect is the honeybee? Did you know Maine had an official state insect?