Additional information about 慰
說文解字:
- Criteria
- CONSOLE
1. The most general word for comforting someone is probably the rather rare wèi 慰.
2. Diào 弔 / 吊 (ant. hè 賀 "congratulate on a felicitous occasion") refers to condolence in the presence of the body of the deceased, and the word has a special meaning "mourn the death of" where it takes the deceased as the grammatical object.
3. Yàn 唁 refers to any condolence visit to the family of someone who has suffered a serious misfortune of any kind, including bereavement or loss of a state.
4. Suī 綏 refers to offering comfort to an individual or a group that is in some form of trouble, and the subject is typically a person in authority.
5. Fǔ 撫 focusses on soothing and caring action conducive to peace and security by a person in authority, and there is no implication of relief from intense suffering.
6. Wèn 問 refers more generally to paying a visit to someone on the occasion of a case of illness etc..
7. Lào 勞 refers to giving comfort to those who are exhausted after a worthy effort.