1510s, "to combine into one body," from Latin consolidatus, past participle of consolidare "to make solid," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + solidare "to make solid," from solidus "firm, whole, undivided, entire," from suffixed form of PIE root *sol- "whole."

Meaning "to make firm or strong" is from 1530s; that of "to form into a solid mass" is from 1650s. Intransitive sense "to grow firm or compact" is from 1620s. Caxton (late 15c.) has consolid (v.), from French consolider. Related: Consolidated; consolidating.

word-forming element usually meaning "with, together," from Latin com, archaic form of classical Latin cum "together, together with, in combination," from PIE *kom- "beside, near, by, with" (compare Old English ge-, German ge-). The prefix in Latin sometimes was used as an intensive.

Before vowels and aspirates, it is reduced to co-; before -g-, it is assimilated to cog- or con-; before -l-, assimilated to col-; before -r-, assimilated to cor-; before -c-, -d-, -j-, -n-, -q-, -s-, -t-, and -v-, it is assimilated to con-, which was so frequent that it often was used as the normal form.

"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., "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.

alternative form of console (n.).

"capable of receiving consolation," 1721; see console (v.) + -able. It seems to be mostly a dictionary word, perhaps a back-formation from inconsolable.

"to comfort, console," late 15c., from Latin 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.)). Obsolete, replaced by console (v.). Related: Consolated; consolating.

1590s, from Latin inconsolabilis "inconsolable," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + consolabilis "consolable," from consolari (see console (v.)). Related: Inconsolably (c. 1500).