melaleuca
/ˌmɛləˈluːkə/
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
μέλας (melas) + λευκός (leukos) — black and white
Overview
Meaning Now
- A genus of plants in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, native to Australia, New Guinea, and the Malay Archipelago, known for their papery bark and fragrant oils.
Literal older meaning
black-white
Language path
Ancient Greek → New Latin → English
Earliest form
Melaleuca
Earliest period
18th century
Journey
The name was assigned by Carl Linnaeus in his 'Mantissa Plantarum' (1767). It refers to the appearance of certain species where the bark may appear charred or dark (melas) while the young growth or underside of leaves is pale or white (leukos).
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
melas + leukos
“black and white”
- 18th century botanical Latin
Melaleuca
“Botanical genus name”
Coined by Linnaeus to describe the bark contrast
Connections
Word parts
mela-
root
black
-leuc-
root
white
-a
ending
noun suffix
Related across languages
Ancient Greek
melanoleukos
black and white
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Related to melaleuca
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.