reinvestigate
UK[ˌriːɪnˈvestɪɡeɪt]US[ˌriːɪnˈvestɪɡeɪt]
v
to investigate something again or differently.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
investigate
re
again
investigate
to examine
Etymology
the word 'reinvestigate' is a modern english formation built upon the established verb 'investigate'. the prefix 're-', derived from latin, is one of the most productive prefixes in english, straightforwardly adding the sense of repetition or a return to a previous action. the core verb 'investigate' itself comes from latin 'investigare', meaning "to track, search into", which is composed of 'in-' (into) and 'vestigare' (to track, trace), from 'vestigium' (footprint, track). therefore, the etymological logic of 'reinvestigate' is transparent: it literally means "to track or search into something again", perfectly aligning with its modern meaning of conducting a fresh examination.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + investigate (to examine)
re: latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back".
investigate: latin origin, from the verb 'investigare' meaning "to search into". in this compound, it functions as the core verb meaning to examine systematically.
Examples
the committee decided to reinvestigate the case after new evidence came to light.
scientists were asked to reinvestigate the data to verify the initial findings.
due to public pressure, the agency will reinvestigate the environmental impact of the project.