# melga
## Catalan
### Etymology

Inherited from Vulgar Latin melica, from Latin medica (“Median”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central, Balearic) [ˈmɛl.ɣə]
* IPA: (Valencia) [ˈmel.ɣa]

### Noun

melga f (plural melgues)
* alfalfa
    Synonyms: alfals, userda

#### Derived terms

* melgó

### Further reading

* “melga” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

## Galician
### Etymology 1

Unknown. Perhaps from Latin merga (“two-pronged fork”), because of its two characteristic spines. Cognate with Spanish mielga.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈmɛlɣa̝/

#### Noun

melga f (plural melgas)
* spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias)

##### Derived terms

* melgacho

### Etymology 2

Attested since the 15th century. From Vulgar Latin melica, from Latin medica, from Mēdia.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈmɛlɣa̝/

#### Noun

melga f (plural melgas)
* spelt
** 1409, J. L. Pensado Tomé, editor, Tratado de Albeitaria, page 61:deue o potro comer feo, palla, herua, orio, auea, espelqa, que quer dizer melga, et as qousas semellauelles a estothe foal must eat hay, straw, grass, barley, oats, spelt, that is melga, and things such like these
* flake
* fog

### References

* Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “melga”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “melga”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “melga”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “melga”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN
* ↑ Joan Coromines, José A[ntonio] Pascual (1983–1991) “mielga II”, in Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico [Critical Castilian and Hispanic Etymological Dictionary] (in Spanish), Madrid: Gredos
* ↑ Joan Coromines, José A[ntonio] Pascual (1983–1991) “mielga I”, in Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico [Critical Castilian and Hispanic Etymological Dictionary] (in Spanish), Madrid: Gredos

## Portuguese
### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /ˈmɛw.ɡɐ/ [ˈmɛʊ̯.ɡɐ]
* (Brazil) IPA: /ˈmɛw.ɡɐ/ [ˈmɛʊ̯.ɡɐ]
** (Southern Brazil) IPA: /ˈmɛw.ɡa/ [ˈmɛʊ̯.ɡa]
* (Portugal) IPA: /ˈmɛl.ɡɐ/ [ˈmɛɫ.ɣɐ]
* Rhymes: (Portugal) -ɛlɡɐ, (Brazil) -ɛwɡɐ
* Hyphenation: mel‧ga

### Etymology 1

Unknown.

#### Noun

melga f (plural melgas)
* mosquito
    Synonym: mosquito
* crane fly (fly of the suborder Tipulomorpha)
    Synonyms: mosquito-tira-olhos, tira-olhos
* (Portugal) an annoying person for their speech or constant presence

##### Derived terms

* melgar

### Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

#### Verb

melga
* inflection of melgar:
** third-person singular present indicative
** second-person singular imperative

### References

* ↑ “melga”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025
* ↑ “melga”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

## Spanish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈmelɡa/ [ˈmel.ɣ̞a]
* Rhymes: -elɡa
* Syllabification: mel‧ga

### Etymology 1

Uncertain.

#### Noun

melga f (plural melgas)
* strip of land marked for sowing seeds

### Etymology 2
#### Adjective

melga f
* feminine singular of melgo

### Etymology 3
#### Verb

melga
* inflection of melgar:
** third-person singular present indicative
** second-person singular imperative

### Further reading

* “melga”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10