# With a sigh of relief



## ThomasK

I am not so interested in (the) _sigh_ (Dutch _zucht_), but mainly in (the) _relief_. The funny thing is that we have both _*verlichting*_ (I guess: making things lighter, less heavy, to bear) and _*opluchting*_ (up+ airing, something like that). 

I don't think there is a link between both words in Dutch (I checked on that). How about your language? What is the word, the metaphor?


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## sakvaka

_Hän huokaisi helpotuksesta._ He sighed of relief.

_Helpotus_ (helpotuksen, helpotusta) has been derived from _helppo_ (easy) via _helpottaa_ (lit. "make easier", relief).


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## ThomasK

So the basis is easy, isn't it? 

Couldn't you use a word with *valo, light,* as well, Sakvaka? I think I came across one while browsing (no, stumbling ;-)) through my dictionary. But it might be slightly different... It seems to mean Enlightenment rather, or clarification, I guess, there is no link with emotions, or is there?


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## sakvaka

_Valo_ (valon, valoa) is the light that you can see, _kevyt_ (kevyen, kevyttä) means "light" as an adjective.

Valo-derivations refer to the enlightenment, so that isn't the same. As for kevyt, well, _kevennys_ signifies a lightening, but usually an "icebreaker" (something done or said to relax an unduly formal atmosphere or situation). There are some sayings that point out to a relief through lightening, for example _kivi vierähti sydämeltäni_ (a stone/boulder rolled off of my heart). But "relief" is interpreted as an easy-derivation.


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## ThomasK

Great information, S, quite interesting examples also. But I do not understand the link between your last sentence and the preceding: the boulder rolling off my heart (chest ?), is some kind of relief, isn't it? Or what did you mean ?


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## sakvaka

If you have a boulder on your chest, that must weight quite a lot, mustn't it? So it's a huge burden (_taakka_) and getting rid of it is certainly a relief of sorts. But when _relief_ is translated as a single word in Finnish, we use the word _helpotus_.


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## ThomasK

OK, now I see what you mean. Great, thanks ! 

Interesting expression also: *"een pak van mijn hart",* we say [a big 'pack' (load) off my heart], sometimes *"een steen van ..."* [a stone]. So: expressions also welcome, if only for the metaphor you are using. ;-)


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## jazyk

In Portuguese: Que alívio!


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## ThomasK

Do I recognize the French 'lever' (lift) in it? (And any expressions ?)


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## jazyk

No, it comes from Latin alleviare. You can see _levis_, light, as in weight, there. It is a cognate of English _alleviate_.


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## ThomasK

But I think we both refer to the same stem? I should have  referred to Latin, but the meaning is _lift_, which refers to _light_, by the way, or so I think. Thanks though !


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## apmoy70

In Greek:
*a sigh of relief*: «Αναστεναγμός ανακούφισης» (anastenaɣ'mos ana'kufisis).
«Αναστεναγμός»: Anastenaɣ'mos _masculine noun_. From the Classical verb «ἀναστενάζω» (ănăstĕ'nāzō) or «ἀναστένω» (ănă'stĕnō)-->_groan aloud, lament, bemoan_; compound formed with the joining together of the prefix and preposition «ἀνὰ» (ā'nă)-->_up, on, upon, throughout, again_ + verb «στενάζω» (stĕ'nāzō)-->_bemoan, bewail_ or verb «στένω» ('stĕnō)-->_moan, sigh for_. From PIE base *(s)tona-, *(s)tena-, _to thunder, moan_. Cognate with Old Norse, stynja, _to make a noise, to groan_; Middle Dutch, stonen, stenen, _to groan; _English, stun.
«Ανακούφιση»: Ana'kufisi _feminine noun_. From the Classical verb «ἀνακουφίζω» (ănăkou'pʰīzō)-->_to lift, raise up_. In Modern Greek (anaku'fizo) carries solely the meaning of _to comfort, soothe_. Compound formed with the joining together of the prefix and preposition «ἀνὰ» (ā'nă)-->_up, on, upon, throughout, again_ + verb «κουφίζω» (kou'pʰīzō)-->_to lift up, raise, relieve from burdens_, with obscure etymology. In Modern Greek «κουφίζω» has not survived.


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## Rallino

In Turkish,
*
Rahatlamanın *verdiği hisle derin bir nefes aldı.

rahatlama = reaching comfort.


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## Tjahzi

*Swedish* can express this in two ways (which is a bit unusual for Swedish).

Either _en suck av lättnad_ or _en lättnadens suck_. Simply, the first being the analytic and the second synthetic. _Lättnad_ being the noun derived from the adjective _lätt_ - _light _(and as such, meaning _relief)_. _Suck _[sɵk:] meaning _sigh._


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## sakvaka

Tjahzi said:


> *Swedish* can express this in two ways (which is a bit unusual for Swedish).
> 
> Either _en suck av lättnad_ or _en lättnadens suck_. Simply, the first being the analytic and the second synthetic. _Lättnad_ being the noun derived from the adjective _lätt_ - _light _(and as such, meaning _relief)_. _Suck _[sɵk:] meaning _sigh._



What verb is used with it? _Han gjorde en suck av lättnad_? Or something derived: han suckte...?


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## Tjahzi

Ahh, thank you. I forgot that part. Actually, the verb used is _dra_ - _pull. _However, it is possible to say _sucka(de) av lättnad_ as well, which gives us the following possible constructions:

_Han drog en lättnadens suck.
Han suckade av lättnad.
Han drog en suck av lättnad.
Han suckade en lättnadens suck _gives a redundant impression, but I suppose it would be possible for an author to find a reason to use it since it's not necessarily ungrammatical.


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## merquiades

I didn't believe so, but it seems that the French "soulagement" (relief) as in "Quel soulagement!" (A sigh of relief)(what a relief) has the same exact "making things lighter, less heavy" origins as the other languages here.
Étymol. et Hist. 1. 1384 soubzlegement « allègement d'une souffrance (physique ou morale) »


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## merquiades

jazyk said:


> In Portuguese: Que alívio!



For the record, Spanish and Catalan are like Portuguese, as to be expected, make lighter.

¡Qué alivio!
Quin alleujament!


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## ThomasK

Rallino said:


> In Turkish,
> 
> *Rahatlamanın *verdiği hisle derin bir nefes aldı.
> 
> rahatlama = reaching comfort.


What is the 'status' of that comfort, Rallino? Can you trace the word back to weight being lifted, or getting air, or ... ?

I had been thinking there were basically two metaphors, a weight being lifted and getting air, being able to breathe better again, but I suppose the two are simply linked and the weight metaphor is the basic one eliciting the other (weight is lifted; so one can breathe again...).

I suppose most expressions refer to that weight (see above: boulder, stone, pack, ...). More welcome !


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## Rallino

ThomasK said:


> What is the 'status' of that comfort, Rallino? Can you trace the word back to weight being lifted, or getting air, or ... ?
> 
> I had been thinking there were basically two metaphors, a weight being lifted and getting air, being able to breathe better again, but I suppose the two are simply linked and the weight metaphor is the basic one eliciting the other (weight is lifted; so one can breathe again...).
> 
> I suppose most expressions refer to that weight (see above: boulder, stone, pack, ...). More welcome !



Rahatlama, as in: relaxing, getting away from the troubled situation, getting fresh air, and so on. 

No lifting I'm afraid. There is also the verb "Hafiflemek", to become lighter. It means the burden on your shoulders is no more. I think this one can be related to being lifted.


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## bibax

Czech:

*Jaká úleva!* = What a relief!
*vydechnouti úlevou* = to sigh of relief;

*úleva* from the verb *uleviti* (u-lev-i-ti, u- verbal prefix, -lev- root, -i- thematic vowel, -ti infinitive suffix), from the root **leu-*;

The imperfective *leviti* is not in use, perfective derivatives with various meanings are: *uleviti, poleviti, sleviti*.

*úlevák* = a pupil who does not go to school from spring to autumn (as he must work; a historical term, of course), nowadays someone who has an alleviation;
*sleva* (from sleviti) = discount, i.e. reduction of price;

An adjective derived from the same root: *levný* = light, easy, but the most frequent meaning is *cheap*;

There is also *ulehčení* = relief, easement, alleviation, from the verb *ulehčiti*, regularly derived from the adjective *lehký* = light (in weight).


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## ThomasK

Quite informative, thanks !


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## ThomasK

I wasn't aware of that, but English also has 'alleviation' or 'solace', but those are not combined with the sigh... ;-)


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## OneStroke

Chinese: 鬆一口氣 (song yi kou qi) - relax one mouthful of air


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## mataripis

Tagalog 1.) Maging maalwan.(make things/situations easy to handle)    2.)maging maginhawa. ( to make someone feel good/easeness/comfort)


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