Etymologically
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re-

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Forms

re-[1] Before vowels and h it appears as red- (redeō, redhibeō), on the model of prōd- beside prō-.[2][3]

Etymology

It is probably inherited from Proto-Italic *wre (“back”),[3][1] whose origin the OLD and Wiktionary call uncertain;[2][1] de Vaan, following Klingenschmitt, traces it to Proto-Indo-European *u̯re (“back”); he calls this the only acceptable etymology proposed so far,[3] and the TLL also finds it probable.[4] The form ⟨red-⟩ was made on the analogy of prōd- beside prō-, and spread by a new division of verbs such as reddō, from earlier *re-di-dō.[3][4]

Cognate with Umbrian re- (“again”) (in ⟨restatu⟩, ⟨revestu⟩) and Albanian rrë- (“back”).[3] The TLL also compares Ancient Greek ἔρρε (érrhe, “go away!”) and Tocharian B wrattsai (“against”).[4]

Semantic evolution

As a verbal prefix it marks movement back or in reverse, withdrawal, the undoing of an earlier process, restoration, response or opposition, separation, and repetition.[2] The sense “again” is the one later languages took over most freely: English re- was taken from Old French re- and directly from Latin from about 1200.[5]

Meanings

Prefix

  1. Back, backwards, in reverse (redeō, revocō).[2][1]
  2. Away, aside, of withdrawal or holding back (recondō, reticeō).[2]
  3. Undoing an earlier process, like English un- (resolvō, retegō).[2][1]
  4. Back to an earlier state, of restoration (renovō).[2]
  5. In answer or opposition (respondeō, rebellō).[2]
  6. Apart, of separation (removeō).[2]
  7. Again, of repeated action (repetō).[2][1]

Word family

Usage notes

In verbs with a reduplicated perfect the prefix leads to syncope: reddō for *redidō, repperī for *repeperī.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  5. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com