"R" Word Origins

Renata

Latin

From the Latin saint's name Renatus/Renata, meaning "reborn."

Renaud

French

Borrowed from French Renaud.

Renault

French

Borrowed from French Renault, itself derived from Proto-Germanic *Raginawaldaz.

rend

Origin

From Middle English renden, from Old English rendan (“to rend, tear, cut, lacerate, cut down”), from Proto-West Germanic *(h)randijan (“to tear”), of uncertain origin. Believed by some to be the causative of Proto-Germanic *hrindaną (“to push”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱret-, *kret- (“to hit, beat”), which would make it related to Old English hrindan (“to thrust, push”). Cognate with Scots rent (“to rend, tear”), Old Frisian renda (“to tear”).

rendaku

Origin

Borrowed from Japanese 連濁 (rendaku, “sequential voicing”).

render

Latin

From Old French rendre, "to give back," from Latin reddere, "to return or restore."

rendezvous

French

Borrowed from French rendez-vous, "present yourselves" — from the imperative of se rendre, "to go (to a place)."

rendition

French

From obsolete French rendition, shaped by "render"; its legal sense developed alongside that word.

Rene

French

Borrowed from French René.

renegade

Medieval Latin

From Spanish renegado, from Medieval Latin renegatus, "one who has denied [their faith]."

renege

Latin

From Latin renegare, "to deny," built from negare ("to deny").

renegotiate

Origin

From re- ("again") plus "negotiate."

renew

Old English

From Middle English renewen, reshaped from earlier anewen, ultimately from Old English niewian, "to restore."

renitence

Origin

From Latin renitens, present participle of reniteo. First known use: 1701. Compare French rénitence.

Rennie

Origin

A shortened, informal form of "renaissance," used within the renaissance-fair community itself.

Renny

Origin

Variant of Rennie.

Reno

Origin

Named after U.S. officer Jesse L. Reno, whose surname's spelling was altered from Renault.

renounce

Latin

From Old French renoncier, from Latin renuntio, "to protest against, refuse."

renovate

Latin

From Latin renovare, "to renew," from re- + novare ("to make new").

renovation

Latin

From Latin renovatio, "a renewing."

renown

Old French

From Old French renoun, related to re- + "noun" (in the older sense of "name" or "reputation").

rent

Latin

From Old French rente, ultimately from Latin reddere, "to give back" — the same root behind render and surrender.

rental

Origin

Formed from rent plus the adjective-forming suffix -al.

rente

Origin

From French rente.

renter

Origin

From rent plus the agent suffix -er, "one who does the action."

renting

Origin

From rent + -ing.

Renu

Sanskrit

Borrowed from Sanskrit रेणु (reṇu).

renunciation

Latin

From Latin renuntiare "to report back, protest against, disclaim", from re- "back" and nuntiare "to announce".

reoccurrence

Origin

From re- + occurrence, after reoccur.

reopen

Origin

From re-, "again," plus open.

reorganization

Origin

From re-, "again," plus organization.

reorganize

Origin

From re-, "again," plus organize.

rep

Origin

Clippings of various words beginning with rep.

repaint

Origin

From re-, "again," plus paint.

repair

Latin

From Middle French reparer, from Latin reparare, "to make ready again," from re- plus parare, "to prepare."

repairman

Origin

From repair plus man.

repairperson

Origin

From repair + -person on the model of repairman.

reparate

Origin

From Latin reparātus (“repaired”), perfect participle of reparō (“to renew, repair”).

reparation

Latin

Via Old French from Late Latin reparatio, from reparare 'to repair, restore'.

reparations

Latin

From Latin reparare "to restore, repair", from re- "again" and parare "to make ready".

repartee

French

From French repartie, from repartir, "to retort quickly."

repast

Origin

From Middle English repast, repaste (“feast, meal; food, nourishment; the Eucharist; refreshment, rest”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman, Middle French, Old French repast, Middle French, Old French repas (“meal, repast; spiritual nourishment”) (modern French repas), probably from Medieval Latin, Late Latin repastus (“meal”), from repāstus, the perfect passive participle of repāscō (“to feed; to feed one after another”), from Latin re- (prefix meaning ‘again’) + pāscō (“to feed, nourish; to pasture (an animal); of an animal: to browse, graze; to maintain, support”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂- (“to protect; to shepherd”)).

repatriate

Origin

Borrowed from Latin repatriare, from re- + patria (“homeland”). Cognate to repair (“to return”).

repatriation

Medieval Latin

From Medieval Latin repatriatio, "act of restoring someone to their homeland," built from re- plus patria, "fatherland."

repay

Old French

From Old French repaiier, "to pay back," from re- plus paiier, "to pay."

repayment

Origin

From repay plus -ment.

repeal

Latin

From Anglo-Norman repeler, from Old French rapeler, "to call back or revoke," ultimately from Latin repellere, "to drive back." A doublet of repel.

repeat

Latin

From Old French repeter, from Latin repetere, "to attack again, to seek again," from re- plus petere, "to seek."