redial
Meaning
To dial a telephone number again.
To call someone again by dialing their number.
Structure
Usage
If you get a busy signal, please redial the number in a few minutes.
The phone system has an automatic redial feature for unanswered calls.
I had to redial three times before I finally got through to customer service.
Etymology
The word 'redial' is a modern English compound formed in the 20th century, directly reflecting the function of telephone technology. It combines the Latin-derived prefix 're-', meaning "again", with the verb 'dial', which itself originates from Medieval Latin 'dialis' meaning "daily", relating to a sundial's daily cycle. The semantic shift from a time-measuring face to a telephone's number-selecting mechanism occurred in the late 19th century. Thus, 'redial' transparently means to perform the action of selecting a telephone number a second or subsequent time.
Analysis
- re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back". - dial: From the noun 'dial', referring to the numbered disk on a telephone, used here as a verb meaning to operate a telephone by selecting numbers.