rediscovered
UK[ˌriːdɪˈskʌvəd]US[ˌriːdɪˈskʌvərd]
v
To discover something again, or to find something that had been lost or forgotten.
v
To become aware of the value or importance of something again.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
discover
ed
re
again
discover
find
ed
past/participle suffix
Etymology
The word 'rediscovered' is built upon the verb 'discover', which entered English via Old French from the Latin discooperire, meaning "to uncover or reveal". The Latin prefix dis- implies a reversal, and cooperire means "to cover", so the literal sense is "to remove a covering". The addition of the prefix 're-', from Latin meaning "again", logically creates the meaning "to uncover again". This etymological construction perfectly mirrors the modern abstract meaning: to find, learn of, or recognize the value of something once more, as if bringing it back to light from a state of being forgotten or obscured.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + discover (find) + ed (past/participle suffix)
- re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back".
- discover: From Middle English, itself from Old French descovrir, meaning "to uncover, reveal". The core morpheme "cover" is of Latin origin (cooperire).
- ed: Old English origin, a suffix used to form the past tense and past participle of regular verbs.
Examples
The archaeologist rediscovered a lost temple deep in the jungle.
She rediscovered her love for painting after many years.
This classic novel was rediscovered by a new generation of readers.