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Repair

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means to restore something damaged

Where does the word "repair" come from? It comes from Latin reparare, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

reparare→reparer→repair

Latin · ancient

're-' plus 'parare', to make ready

Old French · medieval

Latin 'reparare' meant to make ready again, from 'parare', the root of 'prepare'

English · 1300s

'repair' meaning to go somewhere is a different word from 'repatriare'

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Read the full story

Repair’s story begins in Latin: reparare meant “to restore.” 're-' plus 'parare', to make ready. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as reparer. Latin 'reparare' meant to make ready again, from 'parare', the root of 'prepare'. It reached English by 1300s as repair. 'repair' meaning to go somewhere is a different word from 'repatriare'. Today, repair means to restore something damaged.