Rehanging

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The process of putting something back into its rightful position entails modifying its placement
2. To replace an object in its former location often indicates an adjustment in organization
3. The act of restoring an item to its previous position involves rearranging its location

Etymology: "Rehanging" is simply the present participle and gerund of "rehang", so the history belongs to the verb itself. The root is "hang", an ancient English word, and the prefix "re-" meaning "again" or "back", which came into English from Latin through Old French. Put together, "rehang" means to hang something again, usually in its former place or on a new hook. The prefix is the more traceable part. Latin "re-" gave Old French "re-", which passed into Middle English and then became a productive English element, so English speakers could attach it to almost any verb. "Rehang" follows that pattern, joining a native Germanic verb to a prefix that arrived by way of French. The mixed ancestry is typical of ordinary English word-building rather than a special case.

Synonyms: remounting