recapitalize
Meaning
to provide a company with more capital, especially by changing the balance of debt and equity in its financial structure.
to calculate or express the value of a capital asset in a different way.
Structure
Usage
the board decided to recapitalize the struggling firm to avoid bankruptcy.
the new investment will be used to recapitalize the bank and strengthen its balance sheet.
after the merger, the company was forced to recapitalize its long-term debt.
Etymology
the word 'recapitalize' is a modern financial term constructed from classical elements. the prefix 're-', from latin, introduces the sense of repetition or restoration. the core noun 'capital' originates from the latin 'capitalis', meaning "of the head," which evolved through medieval latin to denote principal wealth or stock, metaphorically the "head" or source of financial resources. the suffix '-ize', from greek via latin and french, is a productive verb-forming element. therefore, the literal construction "to make capital again" logically evolved into the specific financial meaning of restructuring a company's capital base.
Analysis
re: latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back". capital: latin origin (from 'caput' meaning 'head'), functioning as the core noun meaning wealth or financial assets. ize: greek/latin origin, a verb-forming suffix meaning "to make" or "to become".