Etymologically
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recruit

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɹɪˈkɹut/; /ɹɪˈkɹuːt/ (UK)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French recrute, an obsolete dialect (Picardy or Hainault) variant of recrue (“a levy; literally new growth”),[2][3][4] the past participle of recreistre (“to grow again”) (recroître),[2][3][5] from Latin recrēscō (“to grow again”),[4][6] from re- (“again”) and crēscō (“to grow”) (see crescent), from Proto-Indo-European *ker- (“to grow”).[2] The verb is from recruter.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

As a verb, to strengthen or reinforce: the 1630s in Etymonline, 1642 in Merriam-Webster, 1643 in the OED (reinforcing an army with fresh troops).[2][5][7] The noun, recovery or renewal, is from before 1643 in Barnhart,[3] and a fresh body of troops from 1647.[7]

Semantic evolution

The noun replaced earlier recrew, a body of military reinforcements (1619).[3][2] Enlisting new soldiers is from the 1650s,[2] and a single newly enlisted soldier or sailor developed from the plural, reinforcements.[4][7] From the 1660s it was used of gaining fresh supplies of anything,[2] and of recovering health or strength in the 17th century.[4] Recruiting student athletes is recorded by 1913.[2]

Timeline

  • 1619 – recrew, reinforcements.[3]
  • 1643 – to reinforce an army.[7]
  • 1647 – a body of fresh troops.[7]
  • 1650s – to enlist soldiers.[2]
  • 1913 – to recruit athletes.[2]

Modern meaning

Verb

  1. To enlist people for military service, or to strengthen an armed force by enlistment.
  2. To find and take on new members, employees or supporters.
  3. (archaic) To renew or restore health or strength.

Noun

  1. A newly enlisted member of the armed forces.
  2. A new member of an organization or group.

Word family

  • recruiter
  • recruitment
  • recruitable
  • unrecruited
  • seaman recruit

Usage notes

In Herefordshire dialect to recruit meant to mend a gate.[8]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  4. ^ a b c d e Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)