reiterate
/riˈɪtəreɪt/
verb
Origin
Latin
reiterare — to repeat
Overview
Meaning Now
- To say something again or a number of times, typically for emphasis or clarity.
- To perform or do something repeatedly.
Literal older meaning
to repeat (iterare) again (re-)
Language path
Latin → Middle English → English
Earliest form
reiterated
Earliest period
16th century
Journey
The word stems from the Latin 'iterare', which relates to 'iter' (a journey or march). The transition to the English 'reiterate' solidified in the 16th century, primarily in rhetorical and academic contexts to emphasize the importance of restating points for the sake of clarity.
Evolution
- Classical Latin
iterare
“to repeat”
Derived from 'iter' (journey/way), meaning to go over a path again.
- Late Latin
reiterare
“to do again”
Added the prefix 're-' for emphasis.
- Middle English
reiterate
“to repeat or restate”
Borrowed directly from Late Latin via French.
Connections
Word parts
re-
prefix
again
iter
root
again/second time
-ate
suffix
verb-forming suffix
Related across languages
French
réitérer
to reiterate
Spanish
reiterar
to reiterate
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.