asolar
Lemma Details
Translation: to devastate; to destroy; to lay waste; to ravage; to ruin
Part of Speech: verb
Etymology: From Latin 'assolare', which comes from 'ad' (to) + 'solum' (ground, soil), literally meaning 'to bring to the ground'. The Latin 'solum' is related to English words like 'soil' and 'sole' (bottom of foot or shoe). The destructive meaning evolved from the idea of leveling something completely to the ground, leaving nothing standing.
Commonality: 40%
Guessability: 30%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of 'a-SOLAR' as making something 'solo' (alone) by destroying everything around it.
- Associate with 'soil' (from Latin 'solum') – to bring something down to the soil/ground level.
- Picture the sun (solar) burning and devastating a landscape.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
Often used in contexts of natural disasters, war, or other catastrophic events. In historical texts, it frequently appears when describing conquests or invasions.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'asolar' means to devastate or destroy, 'aislar' means to isolate or insulate. They sound somewhat similar but have very different meanings.
Confused word:
Decidieron aislar a los pacientes infectados.
They decided to isolate the infected patients.
Notes: The confusion often comes from their phonetic similarity and both being verbs that start with 'a'.
Mnemonic: 'Asolar' starts with 'a' for 'annihilation', while 'aislar' contains 'isla' (island) – something isolated.
Explanation: 'Asolar' means to devastate, while 'asolearse' (reflexive) means to sunbathe or be exposed to the sun.
Notes: Both derive from different roots despite looking similar: 'asolar' from 'solum' (ground) and 'asolearse' from 'sol' (sun).
Mnemonic: 'Asolearse' contains 'sol' (sun) more visibly and is about sun exposure; 'asolar' is about destruction.