comfort

英文词源

comfort

comfort: [13] Comfort did not always have its present ‘soft’ connotations of physical ease, contentment, and well-being. Etymologically it means ‘make someone stronger’, and its original English sense was ‘encourage, support’ (this survives in such contexts as ‘give aid and comfort to the enemy’). It comes via Old French conforter from late Latin confortāre ‘strengthen greatly’, a compound verb formed from the prefix com- ‘with’ used as an intensive and the adjective fortis ‘strong’ (source of English force, fort, and effort).

The antonym discomfort is not etymologically related to discomfit, a word with which it is often confused.
=> effort, force, fort

comfort (v.)

late 13c., conforten "to cheer up, console," from Old French conforter "to comfort, to solace; to help, strengthen," from Late Latin confortare "to strengthen much" (used in Vulgate), from Latin com-, intensive prefix (see com-), + fortis "strong" (see fort). Change of -n- to -m- began in English 14c. Related: Comforted; comforting.

comfort (n.)

c. 1200, "feeling of relief" (as still in to take comfort in something); also "source of alleviation or relief;" from Old French confort (see comfort (v.)). Replaced Old English frofor. Comforts (as opposed to necessities and luxuries) is from 1650s.