μέλας
mélas
G3189 substantive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Primarily denotes the color black, especially of physical appearance such as hair, skin, or clothing; additionally conveys the sense of darkness as an absence of light, or metaphorical gloom. The term can also imply something grim, mournful, or associated with mourning or disaster in figurative contexts, especially in poetry and rhetoric.
Semantic Range
black (of color), dark or swarthy (of personal appearance), ink-colored, dark/black (metaphorical: disaster, sorrow), associated with mourning, night, or gloom
Root / Etymology
A primary Greek adjective with no clear Indo-European cognates; possibly of Pre-Greek substratum origin. Its root is μέλ-.
Historical & Contextual Notes
μέλας occurs in classical Greek as the standard adjective for black or dark in color, used to describe hair, clothing, night, or substances such as ink. In literature and poetry, it often acquires metaphorical nuance, such as denoting something tragic (e.g., μέλαινα ἡμέρα—black/dark day for a day of disaster). In the Septuagint, μέλας can render Hebrew terms like שָׁחֹר (shachor), meaning black, but is less frequent than other Greek color terms. In the New Testament, appears rarely (e.g., Revelation 6:5, black horse). English translations almost always render μέλας as 'black,' but may insufficiently capture its poetic and metaphorical usages. Related adjectives include μέλαινα (feminine) and forms like μέλαν (neuter). Distinct from σκοτεινός, which more directly describes darkness as a state or space, whereas μέλας emphasizes color or symbolic shading.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
apparently a primary word; black:--black.
Root Family
μέλας (melas) — black, dark, inky, gloomy
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3189-04 |
μέλας | melas | ADJ.A NOM M SG |
black | 2 | |
G3189-03 |
μέλανος | melanos | ADJ.S GEN N SG |
ink | of blackness | 2 |
G3189-02 |
μέλανι | melani | ADJ.S DAT N SG |
with black | 1 | |
G3189-01 |
μέλαιναν | melainan | ADJ.S ACC F SG |
black (feminine singular accusative) | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3189-01 |
Matthew 5:36 | μέλαιναν | melainan | ADJ.S ACC F SG |
black (feminine singular accusative) | |
G3189-02 |
2 Corinthians 3:3 | μέλανι | melani | ADJ.S DAT N SG |
with black | |
G3189-03 |
2 John 1:12 | μέλανος | melanos | ADJ.S GEN N SG |
ink | of blackness |
G3189-03 |
3 John 1:13 | μέλανος | melanos | ADJ.S GEN N SG |
ink | of blackness |
G3189-04 |
Revelation 6:5 | μέλας | melas | ADJ.A NOM M SG |
black | |
G3189-04 |
Revelation 6:12 | μέλας | melas | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
black |