Consolations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The acts or instances of providing comfort to someone in distress or sadness; expressions of sympathy or solace offered to alleviate grief or disappointment; items or gestures that bring relief or reassurance during difficult times
2. Actions or words that serve to console individuals experiencing sorrow or hardship; supportive gestures aimed at easing emotional pain or discomfort; objects or expressions that provide a sense of comfort amid trials
3. Means by which one expresses sympathy and provides solace to another in times of mourning or disappointment; gestures intended to soften emotional suffering; tangible or intangible comforts offered to ease distress

Etymology: "Consolations" is simply the plural of "consolation," so the story is really the story of its root. The Latin verb "consolari" (in the deponent form "consolor") meant "to comfort, console," built from the intensifying prefix "con-" and the verb "solari," meaning "to comfort." The Latin noun "consolatio" grew from that verb, and it passed into Old French as "consolacion" before English took the word on. What makes the word particularly interesting is its doublet relationship: English has both "consolation" and the closely related "consolatio," the latter kept as a direct Latin borrowing, while the English form came through French. The English word therefore reflects a long, layered path, carried from the Roman vocabulary of comfort through medieval French into the language of English speakers.

Synonyms: comforts, solaces, reliefs, encouragements, support

Antonyms: distresses, aggravations, discomforts, troubles, torments