recovered-memory
UK[rɪˈkʌvəd ˈmem(ə)ri]US[rɪˈkʌvərd ˈmem(ə)ri]
n
A memory of a traumatic event, typically from childhood, that is believed to have been unconsciously repressed and is later recalled, often during therapy.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
cover
ed
memory
re
again
cover
to get back
ed
adjective suffix
memory
mental faculty of recalling
Etymology
The term is a modern compound noun formed from the adjective "recovered" and the noun "memory." "Recovered" originates from the Latin recuperare, meaning "to get back" or "regain," combining the prefix re- (back) with a verb related to acquisition. "Memory" stems from Latin memoria, linked to the root men- (to think) in Proto-Indo-European, denoting the faculty of the mind. In psychological terminology, the compound "recovered memory" logically applies the concept of regaining something lost ("recovered") to the mental faculty of recall ("memory"), specifically describing a memory that has ostensibly been retrieved after a period of being inaccessible to conscious thought, often due to repression.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + cover (to get back) + ed (adjective suffix) + memory (mental faculty of recalling)
re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back".
cover: From Old French covrir, ultimately from Latin cooperire (to cover completely), here in the sense of "to get back" or "regain".
ed: Old English origin, a suffix forming past participles and adjectives.
memory: From Latin memoria (memory, remembrance), from the root memor (mindful).
Examples
The controversy surrounding recovered memories has been a significant topic in psychology and law.
Her testimony was based on a recovered memory of childhood abuse.
The therapist was accused of inadvertently implanting the idea of a recovered memory.