Mellifluous
/ˈmɛlɪˌfluːəs/noun
Sweetly or smoothly flowing, especially in sound or speech.
Did you know?Mellifluous comes from Latin *mellifluus*, a poetic compound used for something that “flows with honey,” and English kept the dreamy, enchanted feel of that image.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*melit-
“honey”
Latin
Latin
mel
“honey”
Latin
Latin
mellifluus
“flowing with honey; sweetly flowing”
Late Middle English
English
mellifluous
“honey-sweet, sweetly flowing in speech or sound”
Modern English
English
mellifluous
“pleasantly smooth and musical in sound”
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