rerun
UK[ˌriːˈrʌn]US[ˈriːˌrʌn]
n
a television or radio programme, or a film, that is shown or played again
v
to show or play a television or radio programme, or a film, again
Morpheme Breakdown
re
run
re
again
run
to move swiftly on foot
Etymology
The word "rerun" is a modern English compound formed by combining the Latin-derived prefix "re-" with the Germanic verb "run". The prefix "re-", meaning "again", was borrowed into English from Latin via French and is widely productive. The verb "run" has deep Germanic roots, tracing back to Proto-Germanic rinnaną, meaning "to run, flow". The compound "rerun" emerged in the early 20th century, specifically in the context of broadcasting and film, applying the literal sense of "running a film or program again" to the abstract concept of rebroadcasting. This logical construction demonstrates how English readily combines classical and native elements to create precise terminology for new technological and media practices.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + run
- re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back".
- run: Old English origin, from rinnan or iernan, meaning "to move swiftly on foot" or "to flow". In this compound, it functions as a verb base meaning "to operate or proceed".
Examples
The channel is showing a rerun of the classic series tonight.
They decided to rerun the experiment to verify the initial results.
I've seen this episode before; it must be a rerun.