The Spanish word 'solaz', meaning 'solace' or 'comfort', traces its origins back to Latin. It developed from the Latin verb 'solari' meaning 'to comfort' or 'console', which gave rise to the Latin noun 'solacium' meaning 'comfort' or 'consolation'. This word then passed through Occitan (a Romance language historically spoken in southern France) as 'solatz' before finally entering Spanish as 'solaz', maintaining its meaning of comfort or solace throughout this evolution.

A related Spanish word is 'solar', which as a verb means 'to comfort' or 'console', directly preserving the meaning of the Latin 'solari'. Another related term is 'consuelo' (consolation), which shares the same Latin root.

English speakers might recognize the connection to the word 'solace', which comes from the same Latin root 'solacium'. Both the English 'solace' and Spanish 'solaz' have preserved the original meaning of comfort or consolation from their Latin ancestor. The English word 'console' is also related, coming from the same Latin verb 'solari'.