Rediscoveries

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of finding something again that was previously known or lost; a renewed awareness of something’s value or existence; the process of uncovering previously forgotten or overlooked aspects of a subject or idea
2. The process of becoming familiar with something once more after a period of neglect or absence; a fresh appreciation for something that has been set aside; the journey of revealing hidden facets of an earlier experience or knowledge
3. The occasion on which one finds items or concepts again that they had previously encountered; an invigorated recognition of something’s significance; the activity of revealing and exploring previously unexamined elements of a former understanding

Etymology: "Rediscoveries" is the plural of "rediscovery," and the plural is a useful reminder of how the word works: each rediscovery is a separate act of finding something again. The noun is formed in English from the prefix "re-", meaning "again," attached to "discovery." That "discovery" itself traces back through Middle English and Old French to the Latin "re-" and a verb meaning to uncover or remove a covering, so the word's core idea is literally the lifting of a cover from something hidden. The prefix does most of the work here. Adding "re-" to "discovery" turns the idea of uncovering something new into uncovering something that was already known and then lost or overlooked. That is why the word covers so many situations, from recovering a forgotten book in an archive to a renewed appreciation of an old idea.

Synonyms: re-explorations, revelations