return
UK[rɪˈtɜːn]US[rɪˈtɜːrn]
v
to come or go back to a place or person
v
to give, send, or put something back where it came from
n
the act of coming or going back to a place or condition
n
a profit from an investment
Morpheme Breakdown
re
turn
re
again
turn
to rotate
Etymology
The word 'return' is a compound formed from the Latin prefix 're-' and the verb 'turn', which itself has a complex journey from the Proto-Indo-European root terə-, meaning "to rub, turn, or bore". This root gave rise to the Latin tornare ("to turn on a lathe") and subsequently the Old French torner. The fusion of the Latin 're-' ("back") with the Old French-derived 'turn' ("to rotate") in Middle English created a literal sense of "to turn back". Over time, this concrete spatial meaning broadened to encompass abstract concepts such as giving something back, reverting to a state, or yielding a profit, all preserving the core logic of a cyclical or reversing motion.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + turn (to rotate)
- re: A Latin prefix meaning "again" or "back". It functions as an intensifier indicating repetition or backward motion.
- turn: From Old English turnian and Old French torner, meaning "to rotate" or "to change direction". It functions as the core verb root indicating a change in position or state.
Examples
She will return home tomorrow.
Please return the books to the library when you are finished.
The investment yielded a high return.