different between succour vs condolence

English

Etymology

The noun is derived from Middle English socour [and other forms], which was erroneously treated as the singular form of socours (“aid, assistance, help; encouragement; support; remedy, relief; sustenance; military assistance or relief; protection, refuge; helper; protector”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman socurs, sucurs, and Old French secors, secours, socors, socorse (compare Anglo-Norman soccour, socur, succour, succur, variants of Old French secor; modern French secours (“aid, assistance, help”)), from Medieval Latin succursus (“act of succouring”), from Latin succurr?re, from succurr? (“to run to the aid of; to aid, help; to go under, run beneath; to undergo”), from sub- (prefix meaning ‘beneath, under’) + curr? (“to run; to hasten, hurry; to move, proceed, travel; to traverse”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *?ers- (“to run”)). The English word is cognate with Italian soccorso (“aid, assistance, help, succour”).

The verb is derived from Middle English socouren (“to aid, assist, help; to provide for one's needs, maintain, support; to assuage, relieve, remedy; to comfort; to provide military assistance; to rescue, save; to give refuge or shelter to; to defend, protect”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman socure [and other forms] (compare Middle French secourir, Old French succurir, sucurir (“to rescue; to remedy”); modern French secourir (“to help out; to succour”)), from Latin succurr?re; see further above. The English word is cognate with Italian soccorrere (“to assist, help”), Occitan secorrer, socorre, Portuguese socorrer (“to help, succour; to rescue”), Spanish socorrer (“to aid, assist, help, succour; to pay on account”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?s?k?/
• (General American) enPR: s?k?r, IPA^(key): /?s?k?/
• Homophone: sucker
• Hyphenation: suc?cour

Noun

succour (countable and uncountable, plural succours) (British spelling)

1. (uncountable) Aid, assistance, or relief given to one in distress; ministration.
2. (uncountable, military) Aid or assistance in the form of military equipment and soldiers, especially reinforcements sent to support military action.
3. (uncountable, obsolete except dialectal) Protection, refuge, shelter; (countable) a place providing such protection, refuge or shelter.

Alternative forms

• succor (American spelling)

Derived terms

• succourless, succorless (American spelling)
• unsuccoured, unsuccored (American spelling)

Translations

Verb

succour (third-person singular simple present succours, present participle succouring, simple past and past participle succoured) (British spelling)

1. (transitive) To give aid, assistance, or help.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:help

   Antonyms: see Thesaurus:hurt
2. (transitive, military) To provide aid or assistance in the form of military equipment and soldiers; in particular, for helping a place under siege.
3. (transitive, obsolete except dialectal) To protect, to shelter; to provide a refuge.

Conjugation

Alternative forms

• succor (American spelling)

Derived terms

• succourer, succorer (American spelling)

Translations

References

English

Etymology

From condole +? -ence, or from Middle French condoléance, or formed from the root of Latin condole? (“I sympathize”), from con- (“together, with”) and dole? (“I hurt, suffer, have pain”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /k?n?do?l?ns/

Noun

condolence (countable and uncountable, plural condolences)

1. (uncountable) Comfort, support or sympathy.

2. (countable, usually in the plural) An expression of comfort, support, or sympathy offered to the family and friends of somebody who has died.

Derived terms

• book of condolence
• condolence card

Related terms

Translations