remarry
Meaning
To marry again, especially after the death of a spouse or a divorce.
Structure
Usage
After several years as a widow, she decided to remarry.
The law required a waiting period before the divorced couple could legally remarry.
He did not expect to find love and remarry so late in life.
Etymology
The word "remarry" is a transparent compound formed within English. The core verb "marry" entered English from Old French marier, which itself derives from Latin marītāre, meaning "to wed," a verb formed from marītus (husband). The prefix "re-," of Latin origin and carrying the fundamental sense of "again," was attached to the verb in Middle English to create a new term specifying the action of marrying for a second or subsequent time. This construction follows a common pattern in English where Latin-derived prefixes are systematically combined with verbs of various origins to denote repetition, perfectly illustrating the language's capacity for logical and productive word formation.
Analysis
- re: A prefix of Latin origin, meaning "again" or "back." In this word, it functions as an intensifier indicating repetition. - marry: A verb of Latin origin (via Old French marier), from Latin marītāre meaning "to wed" or "to give in marriage." It functions as the core lexical root.