lament

See also: Lament.

English

WOTD – 6 February 2010

Etymology

From French lamenter, from Latin lāmentor (“I wail, weep”), from lāmenta (“wailings, laments, moanings”); with formative -mentum, from the root *la-, probably ultimately imitative. Also see latrare.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ləˈmɛnt/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Audio (Mid-Atlantic US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛnt

Noun

lament (plural laments)

1. An expression of grief, suffering, sadness or regret.
2. A song expressing grief.

Derived terms

• lamentacious
• lamentful (rare)
• lamentless

Translations

expression of grief, suffering, or sadness

Albanian: rëngë (sq) Arabic: عَوِيل m (ʕawīl), رَثَاء m (raṯāʔ), مَنْدَب m (mandab), نُوَاح m (nuwāḥ) Armenian: հառաչանք (hy) (haṙačʻankʻ), տրտունջ (hy) (trtunǰ), գանգատ (hy) (gangat) Bulgarian: вопъл (bg) m (vopǎl), ридание (bg) n (ridanie) Catalan: lament (ca) m Czech: nářek m, bědování n, truchlení n Ewe: konyifafa Finnish: valitus (fi) French: lamentation (fr) f Galician: laído (gl) m, laio (gl) m, salaio m, queixume m, pranto m, pranxido m German: Klage (de) f, Wehklage f, Klagen (de) n, Wehklagen (de) n Hungarian: siralom (hu), sirám (hu), panasz (hu), kesergés (hu), lamentáció (hu) Ido: lamento (io) Irish: ong m (literary), olagón m Italian: lamento (it) m Latin: lamentum n Macedonian: оплаку́вање n (oplakúvanje), тагу́вање n (tagúvanje), зави́вање n (zavívanje) Norwegian: sorg (no) m Ottoman Turkish: زار (zar) Persian: افسوس (fa) (afsus), دژوان (fa) (dožvân), دریغ (fa) (dariġ) Polish: lament (pl) m Portuguese: lamento (pt) m, lamentação (pt) f Russian: стена́ние (ru) n (stenánije), причита́ние (ru) n (pričitánije), завыва́ние (ru) n (zavyvánije) Scottish Gaelic: caoidh f, caoineadh m Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: јадиковање ?, ле̏ле̄к m Roman: jadikovanje (sh) ?, lȅlēk (sh) m Sicilian: chiantu (scn) m Spanish: lamento (es), lamentación (es) Swedish: jämmer (sv) n, klagan (sv) c Yiddish: געוויין n (geveyn)

song expressing grief

Albanian: rëngë (sq), vajtim (sq), gjëmë (sq), Pleqërishte, lashtërishtë Arabic: مَرْثِيَة f (marṯiya) Armenian: եղերերգ (hy) (eġererg), եղերերգություն (hy) (eġerergutʻyun) Bulgarian: елегия (bg) f (elegija) Czech: žalozpěv m Dutch: klaagzang (nl) m Ewe: konyifaha Finnish: valitusvirsi (fi) French: complainte (fr) f German: Klagegesang (de) m, Klagelied (de) n Greek: Ancient: θρῆνος m (thrênos) Hungarian: panaszdal (hu), sirám (hu), siralmas ének Kazakh: жоқтау (joqtau) Macedonian: та́жалка f (tážalka), еле́гија f (elégija) Maori: apakura, mōteatea, matatangitangi, takuate, tūkeka, pihe, waiata tangi Persian: نوحه (fa) (nohe), مرثیه (fa) (marsiye) Polish: lament (pl) m, tren (pl) m Portuguese: lamento (pt) m Russian: эле́гия (ru) f (elégija), причита́ние (ru) n (pričitánije), погреба́льная песнь f (pogrebálʹnaja pesnʹ), панихи́да (ru) f (panixída), похоро́нная песнь f (poxorónnaja pesnʹ) Scottish Gaelic: tuireadh m, cumha m Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: ту̀жбалица f, ту́жа̄љка f, туго̀ва̄нка f Roman: tùžbalica (sh) f, túžāljka (sh) f, tugòvānka (sh) f Sicilian: chiantu (scn) m, lamentu m Swedish: klagosång (sv) c

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Woiwurrung: (please verify) woorrboun

Verb

lament (third-person singular simple present laments, present participle lamenting, simple past and past participle lamented)

1. (intransitive) To express grief; to weep or wail; to mourn.

   Synonyms: grieve, mourn; see also Thesaurus:be sad, Thesaurus:complain

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, John 16:20:

     Ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice.

   • 2006, Nicholas Antongiavanni [pseudonym; Michael Anton], The Suit: A Machiavellian Approach to Men's Style, New York: HarperCollins Publishers, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 52:

     And they are dangerous because when worn they make their wearer look ridiculous and contemptible to those not enthralled by the same fashion; and when their moment has passed they take up precious closet space, taunting you and making you lament of money that should have been spent on something more longevous.

2. (transitive) To express great sorrow or regret over; to bewail.

   Synonyms: bemoan, bewail; see also Thesaurus:lament

   • 1960 February, R. C. Riley, “The London-Birmingham services - Past, Present and Future”, in Trains Illustrated, page 99:

     Euston is so traditionally a part of the London scene that many will lament the passing of the old station when rebuilding is complete in readiness for the new electric service, which will probably be by multiple-units between Euston and Wolverhampton.

   • 2014 October 18, Paul Doyle, “Southampton hammer eight past hapless Sunderland in barmy encounter”, in The Guardian:

     By the end, Sunderland were lucky to lose by the same scoreline Northampton Town suffered against Southampton, in 1921. The Sunderland manager, Gus Poyet, lamented that it was “the most embarrassed I’ve ever been on a football pitch, without a doubt”.

   • 1693, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, John Dryden, transl., “[The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis.] The Tenth Satyr”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. […] Together with the Satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC:

     One laugh'd at follies, one lamented crimes.

Translations

express grief

Arabic: بَكَى (bakā), نَاحَ (nāḥa), أَعْوَلَ (ʔaʕwala), عَوَّلَ (ʕawwala) Armenian: գանգատվել (hy) (gangatvel), տրտնջալ (hy) (trtnǰal) Assamese: বিনা (bina) Bulgarian: тъгувам (bg) (tǎguvam) Catalan: lamentar (ca) Czech: náříkat impf, bědovat (cs) impf, truchlit impf Ewe: fa konyi Finnish: valittaa (fi) French: se lamenter (fr) Galician: craiar (gl), laiar, salaiar, lanxir German: wehklagen (de) Hungarian: siránkozik (hu), jajveszékel (hu), panaszkodik (hu), sopánkodik (hu), kesereg (hu) Icelandic: harma, syrgja (is) Ido: lamentar (io) Irish: caoin, déan olagón Italian: lamentarsi (it) Japanese: 悲しむ (ja) (kanashimu) Latin: dēfleō, lamentor Luxembourgish: bejéimeren Macedonian: та́гува (táguva) Maori: taurere, uhunga, mōteatea Ngazidja Comorian: udumbia Norwegian: sørge Old English: cwiþan, rēotan Persian: زاریدن (fa) (zâridan) Polish: lamentować (pl) impf Portuguese: lamentar (pt) Romanian: lamenta (ro) Russian: стена́ть (ru) (stenátʹ), пла́кать (ru) (plákatʹ), сокруша́ться (ru) (sokrušátʹsja), горева́ть (ru) (gorevátʹ), го́рько жа́ловаться (górʹko žálovatʹsja), се́товать (ru) (sétovatʹ) Scottish Gaelic: caoidh, caoin Spanish: lamentar (es) Swedish: jämra (sv) Tamil: வருந்து (ta) (varuntu) Telugu: శోకించు (te) (śōkiñcu) Tocharian B: kwäs-, tränk-

bewail

Arabic: بَكَى (bakā), رَثَى (raṯā), نَاحَ عَلَى (nāḥa ʕalā), أَعْوَلَ عَلَى (ʔaʕwala ʕalā) Armenian: ողբալ (hy) (oġbal), սգալ (hy) (sgal) Bulgarian: оплаквам (bg) (oplakvam) Catalan: lamentar (ca) Czech: oplakávat impf Egyptian: (jwjw) Ewe: fa konyi Finnish: surra (fi), itkeä (fi), valittaa (fi) French: plaindre (fr) German: beklagen (de) Gothic: 𐌵𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍉𐌽 (qainōn) Greek: Ancient: θρηνέω (thrēnéō) Hungarian: sirat (hu), megsirat (hu), fájlal (hu) Icelandic: harma Irish: caoin, éagaoin Latin: lamentor Macedonian: опла́кува (oplákuva) Maori: uhunga Old English: cwiþan Portuguese: lamentar (pt) Romanian: boci (ro) Russian: опла́кивать (ru) (oplákivatʹ), опла́кать (ru) pf (oplákatʹ) Scottish Gaelic: caoidh, caoin Swedish: sörja (sv), jämra (sv) Ukrainian: опла́кувати impf (oplákuvaty), опла́кати pf (oplákaty)

Related terms

• lamentability
• lamentable
• lamentation
• Lamentations
• lamenting

Further reading

• “lament”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “lament”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

Anagrams

• mantel, mental, mantle, Mantel, manlet, Mantle

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈlamɛnt]
• Rhymes: -amɛnt

Noun

lament

1. genitive plural of lamento

Franco-Provençal

Adverb

lament

1. alternative form of 'lament, clipping of solament (“only”)

French

Pronunciation

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Verb

lament

1. third-person plural present indicative/subjunctive of lamer

Anagrams

• mêlant, mental

Polish

Polish Wikipedia has an article on:

lament

Wikipedia ^pl

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ˈla.mɛnt/

• (Greater Poland):
  • (Central Greater Poland) IPA^(key): [ˈla.mɛnt]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -amɛnt
• Syllabification: la‧ment

Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Latin lāmentum.

Noun

lament m inan

1. lamentation, lament (sorrowful cry)

   Synonym: lamentacja

2. lament, threnody (mournful song expressing sadness over someone's death or some unpleasant event)

   Synonym: lamentacja

3. (poetry) threnody (poem of lamentation or mourning for a dead person; a dirge; an elegy)

   Synonyms: lamentacja, tren

Declension

Declension of lament

	singular	plural
nominative	lament	lamenty
genitive	lamentu	lamentów
dative	lamentowi	lamentom
accusative	lament	lamenty
instrumental	lamentem	lamentami
locative	lamencie	lamentach
vocative	lamencie	lamenty

Derived terms

verbs

• lamencić impf
• lamentować impf

Related terms

adjectives

• lamentacyjny

nouns

• lamentacja

Etymology 2

See alimenty.

Noun

lament m inan

1. (Central Greater Poland, Kalisz Voivodeship) alternative form of alimenty

Further reading

• lament in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• lament in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• lament in PWN's encyclopedia
• Hieronim Łopaciński (1892), “lament”, in “Przyczynki do nowego słownika języka polskiego (słownik wyrazów ludowych z Lubelskiego i innych okolic Królestwa Polskiego”, in Prace Filologiczne (in Polish), volume 4, Warsaw: skł. gł. w Księgarni E. Wende i Ska, page 213

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin lamentum.

Noun

lament n (plural lamente)

1. wailing, moaning, weeping

Declension

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	lament	lamentul		lamente	lamentele
genitive-dative	lament	lamentului		lamente	lamentelor
vocative	lamentule			lamentelor

References

• lament in Academia Română, Micul dicționar academic, ediția a II-a, Bucharest: Univers Enciclopedic, 2010. →ISBN