lament

English

WOTD – 6 February 2010    

Etymology

From French lamenter, from Latin lāmentor (“I wail, weep”), from lāmenta (“wailings, laments, moanings”); with formative -mentum, from the root *la-, probably ultimately imitative. Also see latrare.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA: /ləˈmɛnt/
• Rhymes: -ɛnt

Noun

lament (plural laments)

1. An expression of grief, suffering, or sadness.
2. A song expressing grief.

Derived terms

• lamentful (rare)

Translations

expression of grief, suffering, or sadness

• Armenian: հառաչանք (hy) (haṙačank’), տրտունջ (hy) (trtunǰ), գանգատ (hy) (gangat)
• Ewe: konyifafa
• Finnish: valitus (fi)
• French: lamentation (fr) f
• Italian: lamento (it) m
• Norwegian: sorg (no) m

• Polish: lament (pl) m
• Russian: стенание (ru) (stenánije) n, причитание (ru) (pričitánije) n, завывание (ru) (zavyvánije) n
• Scottish Gaelic: caoidh f, caoineadh m
• Serbo-Croatian: jadikovanje, lelek
• Spanish: lamento (es), lamentación (es)

song expressing grief

• Armenian: եղերերգ (hy) (eġererg), եղերերգություն (hy) (eġerergut’yun)
• Dutch: klaagzang
• Ewe: konyifaha
• Finnish: valitusvirsi (fi)
• French: complainte (fr) f
• German: Klagegesang (de) m, Klagelied (de) n
• Greek:

  Ancient: θρῆνος m

• Polish: lament (pl) m
• Russian: элегия (ru) (elégija) f, причитание (ru) (pričitánije) n, погребальная песнь (ru) (pogrebálʹnaja pesnʹ) f, панихида (ru) (panixída) f, похоронная песнь (ru) (poxorónnaja pesnʹ) f
• Scottish Gaelic: tuireadh m, cumha m
• Serbo-Croatian: tužbalica f, tužaljka f, tugovanka f

Verb

lament (third-person singular simple present laments, present participle lamenting, simple past and past participle lamented)

1. (intransitive) To express grief; to weep or wail; to mourn.
   • Bible, John xvi. 20

     Ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice.

2. (transitive) To bewail.
   • Dryden

     One laughed at follies, one lamented crimes.

Synonyms

• bewail

Translations

express grief

• Armenian: գանգատվել (hy) (gangatvel), տրտնջալ (hy) (trtnǰal)
• Ewe: fa konyi
• Finnish: valittaa (fi)
• French: se lamenter (fr)
• Icelandic: harma (is), syrgja (is)
• Irish: caoin (ga)
• Italian: lamentarsi (it)
• Latin: dēfleō (la)

• Luxembourgish: bejéimeren (lb)
• Norwegian: sørge (no)
• Romanian: lamenta (ro)
• Russian: стенать (ru) (stenátʹ), плакать (ru) (plákatʹ), сокрушаться (ru) (sokrušátʹsja), горевать (ru) (gorevátʹ), горько жаловаться (ru) (górʹko žálovatʹsja), сетовать (ru) (sétovatʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: caoidh, caoin
• Spanish: lamentar (es)

bewail

• Armenian: ողբալ (hy) (oġbal), սգալ (hy) (sgal)
• Ewe: fa konyi
• Finnish: surra (fi), itkeä (fi), valittaa (fi)
• French: plaindre (fr)
• Icelandic: harma (is)

• Irish: caoin (ga)
• Romanian: boci (ro)
• Russian: оплакивать (ru) (oplákivatʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: caoidh, caoin

Related terms

• lamentable
• lamentability
• lamentation
• Lamentations

External links

• lament in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• lament in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

Anagrams

• malent
• mantel
• mantle
• mental

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French

Verb

lament

1. third-person plural present indicative of lamer
2. third-person plural present subjunctive of lamer

Anagrams

• mêlant, mental