solace

See also: solące

English

WOTD – 13 March 2007

Etymology

From Old French solas, from Latin sōlācium (“consolation”), root from Proto-Indo-European *selh₂- (“mercy, comfort”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsɒl.ɪs/
• (General American) enPR: sŏlʹĭs, IPA^(key): /ˈsɑl.ɪs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒlɪs

Noun

solace (countable and uncountable, plural solaces)

1. Comfort or consolation in a time of loneliness or distress.

   You cannot put a monetary value on emotional solace.

2. A source of comfort or consolation.
   • September 25, 1750, Samuel Johnson, The Rambler

     The proper solaces of age are not music and compliments, but wisdom and devotion.

Synonyms

• comfort
• consolation
• relief
• support
• compassion

Derived terms

• solaceful
• solacement

Translations

consolation

• Azerbaijani: təsəlli, təskin, təskinlik
• Bashkir: йыуаныс (yïwanïs)
• Bulgarian: утешение (bg) n (utešenie)
• Catalan: consol (ca) m
• Czech: útěcha f
• Danish: trøst (da)
• Dutch: troost (nl) m, soelaas (nl) n
• Faroese: troyst f
• Finnish: lohtu (fi), lohdutus (fi)
• French: consolation (fr), réconfort (fr)
• Galician: solaz m
• Georgian: ნუგეში (nugeši)
• German: Trost (de) m
• Greek: παρηγοριά (el) f (parigoriá)
• Hebrew: נחמה‎ (he) f (nekhamá)
• Hungarian: vigasz (hu)

• Ido: konsolaco (io)
• Italian: consolazione (it) f, conforto (it) m
• Korean: 위안 (ko) (wian)
• Maori: oranga ngākau
• Norwegian: trøst
• Persian: تسلی‎ (fa) (tasalli)
• Plautdietsch: Troost m
• Polish: pociecha (pl) f
• Portuguese: consolo (pt) m
• Romanian: consolare (ro) f, reconfortare (ro) f
• Russian: утеше́ние (ru) n (utešénije), смягче́ние (ru) n (smjaxčénije)
• Scottish Gaelic: sòlas m
• Slovak: útecha f
• Spanish: consuelo (es) m, solaz (es) m
• Swedish: tröst (sv)
• Turkish: teselli (tr)

source of comfort

• Bulgarian: утеха (bg) f (uteha)
• Catalan: consol (ca) m
• Czech: útěcha f
• Danish: trøst (da)
• Dutch: troost (nl) m, soelaas (nl) n
• Finnish: lohtu (fi), lohdutus (fi)
• French: consolation (fr), réconfort (fr)
• Galician: solaz
• German: Trost (de) m
• Hungarian: vigasztalás (hu), enyhülés (hu)
• Italian: consolazione (it) f, conforto (it) m

• Maori: oranga ngākau
• Norwegian: trøst
• Persian: دلخوشی‎ (fa) (del-xoši)
• Plautdietsch: Troost m
• Polish: pociecha (pl) f
• Portuguese: consolo (pt) m
• Slovak: útecha f
• Spanish: consuelo (es) m
• Swedish: tröst (sv)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Ido: ^{(please verify)} konsolaco (io)

Verb

solace (third-person singular simple present solaces, present participle solacing, simple past and past participle solaced)

1. (transitive) To give solace to; comfort; cheer; console.
2. (transitive) To allay or assuage.
3. (intransitive) To take comfort; to be cheered.
   • c. 1591–1595, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene v]:

     But one thing to reioyce and ſolace in,
     And cruell death hath catcht it from my ſight.

Translations

to give solace to

• Bulgarian: утешавам (bg) (utešavam)
• Czech: utěšit
• Dutch: troosten (nl)
• Finnish: lohduttaa (fi), piristää (fi)
• French: soulager (fr), consoler (fr)
• German: trösten (de)
• Greek: παρηγορώ (el) (parigoró)
• Spanish: solazar (es), consolar (es)

• Hungarian: vigasztal (hu)
• Ido: konsolacar (io)
• Polish: przynosić pociechę
• Portuguese: consolar (pt), reconfortar (pt)
• Russian: утеша́ть (ru) (utešátʹ)
• Swedish: trösta (sv)

to allay, assuage

• Bulgarian: успокоявам (bg) (uspokojavam)
• Czech: utišit (cs), ztišit
• Finnish: lievittää (fi)

• Greek: ανακουφίζω (el) (anakoufízo)
• Hungarian: enyhít (hu)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Ido: ^{(please verify)} konsolacar (io)
• Romanian: ^{(please verify)} consola (ro), ^{(please verify)} reconforta (ro), ^{(please verify)} alina (ro)

• Swedish: ^{(please verify)} trösta (sv)

Related terms

• console

Anagrams

• Coales, acoels, coales

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Spanish

Verb

solace

1. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of solazar.
2. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of solazar.
3. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of solazar.
4. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of solazar.