Research: 're-' + 'search'

[Tamara]

Hi

Just quick thought. (Sometimes I stumble over something 'quite usual' and get puzzled ).

In my understanding, 're-' is the prefix that expresses one of the two ideas:
- repetition ( ) (as in redo, reload and re-count)
- modification, with an intention to produce better result (as in redesign and redistribute)

The word research is obviously created by re + search , and search isn’t too 'loaded' word and has rather 'a single' meaning.
(Or maybe I just don’t know something important?)

scientific re?search
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[Yankee]

Hi Tamara

[Tamara]

Hi Amy

[Alan]

Hi Tamara,

I would suggest it means that the 're' now forms part of the whole word, is solid with it, and is no longer considered to be a separate prefix as in:

refute/return/refund/repeat and so on and so on. Others could be :en/em/de -enable/encourage/enhance empower/employ/emit/degenerate/degrade/decide ....

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Tamara]

Thanks, Alan. Clear.

Just one (the last ) question: does it (what you and Amy said) also relates to 're-' written with hyphen?

There are lots of such words, re-arrest, re-allocate, etc., you know.
Moreover, according to my dictionary, recount and re-count (for examples) are two different words, with different meanings.
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[Alan]

Hi,

I would say that using the hyphen with 're' indicates that the word thus created isn't in a so-called solid state and we want to keep the 'repetitive' element of 're' alive. The case in point is the word you mention- recount / re-count. The first meaning 'tell a story/give a narrative' where the word is looked on as a whole and the second meaning 'count again' where the two parts are need to be 'separated'

Alan

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Relative Pronoun

[Yankee]

[Tamara]

So, Alan, if I understand you correcly, re- (hyphened) isn't (yet ) 'adnate' prefix (dead joint? figuratevely:)) and still keeps its initial role.

OK.
Thanks.
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It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…

[Tamara]

Amy, I understand your point.
Thank you for your examples.

P.S.
Jut a quick glance at the article you gave (I'll re-read it a bit later, more attentively.)