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reficio

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word reficio

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
Ultimate origins
Latin (re-)Proto-Indo-European (*dʰeh₁-)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin facio
English surfeit
French affaire
French faire
French parfaire
French refaire
Latin efficio
Latin effectus
English effect
French effet
Latin reficio
Latin officio
French officier
Latin factor
Latin facilis
French facile
Latin factus
Latin officium
English office

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [rɛˈfɪ.ki.oː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [reˈfiː.t͡ʃi.o][1]

Forms

reficiō (present infinitive reficere, perfect active refēcī, supine refectum); third (-iō variant) conjugation[1] An inscription spells it rificiō.[2]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin re- (“again”) + faciō (“to make, do”).[3][2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨faciō⟩ to Proto-Italic *faki- and to the Proto-Indo-European *dʰh₁-k- (“to make”), an extension of Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first record of the sense “repair” is in an inscribed Roman law (CIL 1.593), and Lucretius uses it of things renewed.[3]

Semantic evolution

It is to restore something to its former state, to repair buildings and to make good a loss, and to remodel a text, as Cicero did with a draft.[3] Cicero uses it of restoring the common safety and of re-electing tribunes, and Livy of reviving the soldiers' courage at the sight of their general.[3] Above all it is to refresh or revive after fatigue, illness or a defeat; reflexively it is to recover, as Cicero means to stay until he gets better.[3] In money matters it is to make a sum by selling, or to recoup an outlay.[3]

Church Latin glosses it “mend, repair, refresh, restore, make over”.[5]

Timeline

  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius of things restored.[3][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of re-electing tribunes and of recovering one's strength.[3][6]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy of reviving courage.[3][6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To repair, rebuild, restore; to make good (a loss).[3][1][5]
  2. To renew; to remodel, refashion.[3][1]
  3. To restore (a state of affairs); to revive (courage, strength).[3]
  4. To reappoint, re-elect.[3][1]
  5. To refresh, revive, (reflexive) to recover one's strength.[3][1][5]
  6. To make (money) by selling; to recoup (an expense).[3][1]

Word family

  • refectiō
  • refector
  • refectōrius
  • refectus
  • sēmirefectus
  • subrefectus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Cite this entry

“Reficio.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/reficio. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·