reincarnation
UK[ˌriːɪnkɑːˈneɪʃən]US[ˌriːɪnkɑːrˈneɪʃən]
n
The belief that the soul of a dead person can return to life in a new body.
n
A person or animal in which a soul is believed to have been born again.
n
A new version or instance of something that existed in the past.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
in
carn
ation
re
again
in
in
carn
flesh
ation
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'reincarnation' is a modern English formation, built from classical Latin components to express a concept found in Eastern religions. The core is the Latin root carn- (flesh), from the Proto-Indo-European root sker- meaning "to cut," which also gave rise to words like 'carnal' and 'carnival.' The prefix 're-' (again) is combined with 'in-' (into) and the root 'carn-' to create the literal sense of "entering again into flesh." The suffix '-ation' then forms the abstract noun. Thus, the term's logic perfectly maps its modern meaning: the process (ation) of a soul coming back (re) into (in) a physical body (carn).
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + in (in) + carn (flesh) + ation (noun suffix)
re: Latin prefix meaning "again, back."
in: Latin prefix meaning "in, into."
carn: Latin root carn- meaning "flesh, meat."
ation: Latin-derived noun suffix -ation indicating an action, process, or result.
Examples
Many Eastern religions believe in the reincarnation of the soul.
He is considered by some to be the reincarnation of a great musician.
The old theater saw its reincarnation as a popular music venue.