Consolation
/ˌkɒn.səˈleɪ.ʃən/noun
Comfort or relief given to someone who is sad, disappointed, or suffering.
Did you know?Consolation comes from Latin *consolari*, meaning to “strengthen greatly” or “soothe together,” showing how comfort was once imagined as an active force, not just a feeling.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sal-
“to be whole, well, in good health”
Latin
Latin
solāri
“to comfort, console, give relief”
Latin
Latin
consolārī
“to comfort greatly, encourage, soothe”
Old French
Old French
consolacion
“consolation, comfort, relief”
Middle English
English
consolacioun
“comfort, solace”
Modern English
English
consolation
“comfort or relief in sorrow or disappointment”
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