English
recur
Recur comes from Latin recurrō ‘to hurry or run back’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ḱers-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱers-‘to run’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱr̥s-é-tireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*korzōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcurrō‘to hasten, hurry’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErecurrō‘to hurry or run back’
- Englishearliest quotation 1529recur
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱers-‘to run’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱr̥s-é-tireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*korzōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcurrō‘to hasten, hurry’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErecurrō‘to hurry or run back’
- Englishearliest quotation 1529recur
Earliest quotation: 1529, Thomas Wolsey, London: […] T[homas] H[odgkin] for Richard Chiswell: “[I]f his Grace vvere minded, or vvould intend to…”
The story
Learned borrowing from Latin recurrō (‘to hurry or run back; to return, revert’), from re- (prefix meaning ‘back, backwards’) + currō (‘to hasten, hurry; to move, travel; to run’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱers- (‘to run’)).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱers- ‘to run’
charge, carry, career, rush, carrier, cargo, carriage, hurry, intercourse, chariot, occurrence, carousel, corral, caricature, hurrah, recourse, cursory, carrack, 37 more
through Proto-Italic *korzō
corridor, discourse, courier, concurrent, concourse, incursion, 21 more
through Latin currō ‘to hasten, hurry’
course, current, occur, curriculum, currency, corsair, incur, concur, precursor, cursor, courant, hussar, succour, 25 more
Today it means
verb Of an event, situation, etc.: to appear or happen again, especially repeatedly.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱers- / recur