Melite
/ˈmɛl.aɪt/noun
A rare yellowish mineral composed chiefly of hydrated calcium aluminum oxalate.
Did you know?Melite belongs to the same ancient honey-word family as “mellifluous” and “diabetes mellitus,” whose Latin name literally means “honey-sweet.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*melid-
“Honey; a reconstructed root associated with sweetness and honey.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μέλι (meli)
“Honey.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μελίτης (melitēs)
“Honey-like or resembling honey.”
Late Latin
Latin
melitus
“Honeyed or sweet as honey.”
1797
English
melite
“A mineral named for its honey-like yellow color.”
Modern English
English
Melite
“A rare yellowish hydrated calcium aluminum oxalate mineral.”