repurchase
UK[ˌriːˈpɜːtʃəs]US[ˌriːˈpɜːrtʃəs]
v
To buy something again, especially something that one previously owned.
n
An act of buying something again.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
purchase
re
again
purchase
buy
Etymology
The word "repurchase" is a transparent compound formed within English. The prefix "re-," derived from Latin, is one of the most productive prefixes in English, consistently conveying the sense of repetition or return. It was attached to the verb "purchase," which entered English via Anglo-Norman from Old French 'pourchacier', meaning "to pursue, to acquire." The original sense of "purchase" involved effortful acquisition, which narrowed to its modern commercial meaning. Therefore, "repurchase" logically builds on this to mean "to acquire by buying for a second or subsequent time," a meaning fully compositional from its parts.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + purchase (buy)
- re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back."
- purchase: From Anglo-Norman 'purchacer', meaning "to seek to obtain" or "to buy." The morpheme functions as the core verb/noun.
Examples
The company announced a plan to repurchase up to $2 billion of its own shares.
He regretted selling the classic car and hoped for an opportunity to repurchase it one day.
The repurchase of the property was completed at a significantly higher price.