Etymologically
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reficio

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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