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Today it means

recur

to occur again periodically or repeatedly

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Where does the word "recur" come from? It comes from Latin recurrere, and was adopted directly into English (1500s).

Read the full story

Where does the word "recur" come from? It comes from Latin recurrere, and was adopted directly into English (1500s).

Recur’s story begins in Latin: recurrere meant “to run back again.” To run back again, from re- (back) and currere (to run). It reached English by 1500s as recur. Settled as the English word for happening again periodically. Today, recur means to occur again periodically or repeatedly.

  1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient recurrere "to run back again", to run back again, from re- (back) and currere (to run).
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1500s recur "to happen again periodically or repeatedly", settled as the English word for happening again periodically.

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