recapitulate
UK[ˌriːkəˈpɪtʃəleɪt]US[ˌriːkəˈpɪtʃəleɪt]
v
To repeat or give a summary of what has already been said.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
capitul
ate
re
again
capitul
head, chapter
ate
verb suffix
Etymology
The word 'recapitulate' has a vivid etymological journey. It originates from the Late Latin verb recapitulare, meaning "to go over the main points of something again." This Latin term is built from the prefix re- ("again") and capitulum ("little head" or "chapter"), a diminutive of caput ("head"). The logic is that summarizing is akin to revisiting the "headings" or main points. Over time, the biological sense of "repeating evolutionary stages" developed, but the core abstract meaning of summarizing or restating key points has remained dominant in general usage.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + capitul (head, chapter) + ate (verb suffix)
- re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back."
- capitul: Derived from Latin capitulum, meaning "small head" or "chapter," from caput (head).
- ate: A verb-forming suffix of Latin origin.
Examples
To conclude, let me briefly recapitulate the main arguments.
The professor asked the student to recapitulate the theory in her own words.
The document recapitulates the terms of the agreement for clarity.