# Melissa
## Translingual
### Etymology

Ancient Greek μέλισσα (mélissa, “honey bee”) (compare Melissa), which in turn comes from μέλι (méli, “honey”).

### Proper noun

Melissa f
* A taxonomic genus within the family Lamiaceae – lemon balm.

#### Hypernyms

* (genus): Eukaryota – superkingdom; Plantae – kingdom; Viridiplantae – subkingdom; Streptophyta – infrakingdom; Embryophyta – superphylum; Tracheophyta – phylum; Spermatophytina – subphylum; angiosperms, eudicots, core eudicots, asterids, euasterids I – clades; Lamiales – order; Lamiaceae – family; Nepetoideae - subfamily; Mentheae - tribe; Salvinae - subtribe

#### Hyponyms

* (genus): Melissa officinalis - type species; Melissa axillaris, Melissa flava, Melissa yunnanensis - other species

### References

* Melissa (plant) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
* Melissa on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
* Melissa (Lamiaceae) on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
* Melissa at USDA Plants database

## English
### Etymology

From Ancient Greek μέλισσα (mélissa, “bee, honey, or honeybee”). In Ireland it is sometimes used as a feminine form of the Gaelic male name Maol Íosa (literally “servant of Jesus”).

### Pronunciation

* (US) IPA: /məˈlɪsə/
* Audio (Southern England):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɪsə

### Proper noun

Melissa
* (Greek mythology) Bee-nymph in Greek mythology.
* A female given name from Ancient Greek, popular in the latter half of the 20th century.
** 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:And her owne handmayd, that Melissa hight / Appointed to attend her dewly day and night
** 1840 April – 1841 November, Charles Dickens, “(please specify the chapter number or name)”, in The Old Curiosity Shop. A Tale. […], London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1841, →OCLC:Miss Melissa Wackles was the eldest daughter, Miss Sophy the next, and Miss Jane the youngest.
** 1959, Nicholas Blake, The Widow's Cruise, page 9:- - - by Mrs. Melissa Blaydon and Miss Ianthe Ambrose. "Well, they may be sisters," said Nigel. "Those elegant, classical Christian names suggest one father.

#### Translations
### See also

* Melitta (< μέλιττα (mélitta))

### Anagrams

* aimless, Milases, Salemis, misseal, mesails, Esmails, Maisels, seismal, samiels

## Danish
### Proper noun

Melissa
* a female given name, equivalent to English Melissa

## Finnish
### Etymology

From Ancient Greek μέλισσα (mélissa).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈmelisːɑ/, [ˈme̞lis̠ːɑ̝]
* Rhymes: -elisːɑ
* Hyphenation: Me‧lis‧sa

### Proper noun

Melissa
* a female given name

#### Declension

Possessive forms of Melissa (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation) :
first-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
Melissani
Melissani
accusative
nom.
Melissani
Melissani
gen.
Melissani
genitive
Melissani
Melissojeni Melissaini $^{rare}$
partitive
Melissaani
Melissojani
inessive
Melissassani
Melissoissani
elative
Melissastani
Melissoistani
illative
Melissaani
Melissoihini
adessive
Melissallani
Melissoillani
ablative
Melissaltani
Melissoiltani
allative
Melissalleni
Melissoilleni
essive
Melissanani
Melissoinani
translative
Melissakseni
Melissoikseni
abessive
Melissattani
Melissoittani
instructive
comitative
—Melissoineni
second-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
Melissasi
Melissasi
accusative
nom.
Melissasi
Melissasi
gen.
Melissasi
genitive
Melissasi
Melissojesi Melissaisi $^{rare}$
partitive
Melissaasi
Melissojasi
inessive
Melissassasi
Melissoissasi
elative
Melissastasi
Melissoistasi
illative
Melissaasi
Melissoihisi
adessive
Melissallasi
Melissoillasi
ablative
Melissaltasi
Melissoiltasi
allative
Melissallesi
Melissoillesi
essive
Melissanasi
Melissoinasi
translative
Melissaksesi
Melissoiksesi
abessive
Melissattasi
Melissoittasi
instructive
comitative
—Melissoinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
Melissamme
Melissamme
accusative
nom.
Melissamme
Melissamme
gen.
Melissamme
genitive
Melissamme
Melissojemme Melissaimme $^{rare}$
partitive
Melissaamme
Melissojamme
inessive
Melissassamme
Melissoissamme
elative
Melissastamme
Melissoistamme
illative
Melissaamme
Melissoihimme
adessive
Melissallamme
Melissoillamme
ablative
Melissaltamme
Melissoiltamme
allative
Melissallemme
Melissoillemme
essive
Melissanamme
Melissoinamme
translative
Melissaksemme
Melissoiksemme
abessive
Melissattamme
Melissoittamme
instructive
comitative
—Melissoinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
Melissanne
Melissanne
accusative
nom.
Melissanne
Melissanne
gen.
Melissanne
genitive
Melissanne
Melissojenne Melissainne $^{rare}$
partitive
Melissaanne
Melissojanne
inessive
Melissassanne
Melissoissanne
elative
Melissastanne
Melissoistanne
illative
Melissaanne
Melissoihinne
adessive
Melissallanne
Melissoillanne
ablative
Melissaltanne
Melissoiltanne
allative
Melissallenne
Melissoillenne
essive
Melissananne
Melissoinanne
translative
Melissaksenne
Melissoiksenne
abessive
Melissattanne
Melissoittanne
instructive
comitative
—Melissoinenne
third-person possessor
singular
plural
nominative
Melissansa
Melissansa
accusative
nom.
Melissansa
Melissansa
gen.
Melissansa
genitive
Melissansa
Melissojensa Melissainsa $^{rare}$
partitive
Melissaansa
Melissojaan Melissojansa
inessive
Melissassaan Melissassansa
Melissoissaan Melissoissansa
elative
Melissastaan Melissastansa
Melissoistaan Melissoistansa
illative
Melissaansa
Melissoihinsa
adessive
Melissallaan Melissallansa
Melissoillaan Melissoillansa
ablative
Melissaltaan Melissaltansa
Melissoiltaan Melissoiltansa
allative
Melissalleen Melissallensa
Melissoilleen Melissoillensa
essive
Melissanaan Melissanansa
Melissoinaan Melissoinansa
translative
Melissakseen Melissaksensa
Melissoikseen Melissoiksensa
abessive
Melissattaan Melissattansa
Melissoittaan Melissoittansa
instructive
comitative
—Melissoineen Melissoinensa :

#### Statistics

* Melissa is the 330th (tied with 1 other name) most common female given name in Finland, belonging to 1,361 female individuals (and as a middle name to 1,036 more), according to February 2023 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

## German
### Etymology

From Ancient Greek μέλισσα (mélissa, “bee”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /meˈlɪsa/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: Me‧lis‧sa

### Proper noun

Melissa
* a female given name, equivalent to English Melissa

## Italian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /meˈlis.sa/
* Rhymes: -issa
* Hyphenation: Me‧lìs‧sa

### Proper noun

Melissa f
* a female given name, equivalent to English Melissa

### Anagrams

* limasse, messali

## Portuguese
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin Melissa, from Ancient Greek Μέλισσα (Mélissa), from μέλισσα (mélissa, “bee”).

### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /meˈli.sɐ/
* (Brazil) IPA: /meˈli.sɐ/
** (Southern Brazil) IPA: /meˈli.sa/
* (Portugal) IPA: /mɨˈli.sɐ/

### Proper noun

Melissa f
* a female given name from Ancient Greek, equivalent to English Melissa
* (Greek mythology) Melissa (nymph who discovered and taught the use of honey)

## Swedish
### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Proper noun

Melissa c (genitive Melissas)
* a female given name, equivalent to English Melissa