solace
UK[ˈsɒl.ɪs]US[ˈsɑː.lɪs]
n
comfort or consolation in a time of distress or sadness.
v
to give comfort or consolation to.
Etymology
the word 'solace' entered english in the 13th century from the old french 'solaz', which itself derived from the latin 'sōlācium', meaning 'consolation' or 'comfort'. this latin noun is built on the verb 'sōlārī', 'to comfort' or 'to soothe'. the ultimate origin is uncertain, but it may be connected to the proto-indo-european root selh₂-, meaning 'to take', which could imply the sense of taking up someone's burden or grief. the semantic journey thus moved from a general act of taking or relieving to the specific modern abstract meaning of providing comfort in sorrow.
Analysis
this word is a simplex loanword from latin. it is not productively formed from separable english morphemes.
Examples
she found solace in reading poetry after her loss.
the kind words of his friends offered him little solace.
he solaced himself with the thought that he had done his best.