"comfort in grief, consolation," late 13c., from Old French solaz "pleasure, entertainment, enjoyment; solace, comfort," from Latin solacium "a soothing, assuaging; comfort, consolation," from solatus, past participle of solari "to console, soothe," from a suffixed form of PIE root *selh- "to reconcile" (source also of Greek hilaros). Adjectival form solacious is attested 16c.-17c.
late 14c., "causing discomfort, dismal;" c. 1400, "unhappy, dejected, melancholy, wanting consolation or comfort," from Medieval Latin disconsolatus "comfortless," from Latin dis- "away" (see dis-) + consolatus, past participle of consolari "offer solace, encourage, comfort, cheer," from assimilated form of com-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see com-), + solari "to comfort" (see solace (n.)). Related: Disconsolately; disconsolateness.
late 14c., "that which consoles;" c. 1400, "act of consoling, alleviation of misery or distress of mind, mitigation of grief or anxiety," from Old French consolacion "solace, comfort; delight, pleasure" (11c., Modern French consolation), from Latin consolationem (nominative consolatio) "a consoling, comfort," noun of action from past-participle stem of consolari "offer solace, encourage, comfort, cheer," from assimilated form of com-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see com-), + solari "to comfort" (see solace (n.)). The non-champion's consolation prize is recorded by 1853.
"alleviate the grief or mental distress of," 1690s, from French consoler "to comfort, console," from Latin consolari "offer solace, encourage, comfort, cheer," from assimilated form of com-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see com-), + solari "to comfort" (see solace (n.)). Or perhaps a back-formation from consolation. The Latin word is glossed in Old English by frefran. Related: Consoled; consoling.
