recount
UK[rɪˈkaʊnt]US[rɪˈkaʊnt]
v
To tell someone a story or describe a series of events
v
To count something again
Morpheme Breakdown
re
count
re
again
count
number
Etymology
The word 'recount' entered English in the 15th century from Anglo-French 'recunter,' itself derived from Old French 'reconter.' This Old French term is a compound of the prefix 're-' (again) and 'conter' (to tell, count). The Latin ancestor is 'recomputare,' from 're-' and 'computare' (to calculate). This dual etymological heritage explains the word's two distinct modern meanings. The primary sense, "to tell in detail," evolved from the narrative meaning of 'conter,' while the secondary sense, "to count again," is a more literal, modern combination of the English morphemes 're-' and 'count,' directly reflecting the original Latin notion of recalculation.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + count (number)
- re: A Latin prefix meaning "again" or "back." In English, it functions as a derivational prefix indicating repetition.
- count: From Old French 'conter,' meaning "to tell, relate, count," and ultimately from Latin 'computare,' meaning "to sum up, calculate." In English, it functions as a verb meaning to enumerate or to narrate.
Examples
She was asked to recount the events of that day to the police.
The election officials had to recount the ballots after a close result.
He loves to recount his adventures from his travels in South America.