Reinterments

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of transferring remains from one burial site to another in order to provide a more suitable resting place
2. The process of relocating deceased individuals' bodies or ashes to a different grave or memorial location for various reasons
3. A formal procedure involving the reburial of remains at a new site, often for the sake of family wishes or site management

Etymology: "Reinterments" is the plural of "reinterment", a noun formed by adding the suffix "-ment" to the verb "reinter". The verb is built from the prefix "re-", meaning again, and "inter", meaning to bury, which comes from Latin "interrare", literally "to put into the ground" (from "in", into, and "terra", earth). So a reinterment is, quite literally, a second putting-into-the-earth of remains. The "-ment" ending is a common English suffix, borrowed through Old French from Latin "-mentum", that turns a verb into a noun naming the act or the result of that action. Words like "placement" and "settlement" follow the same pattern. Because the suffix attaches freely to newer verbs, "reinterment" is a straightforward formation rather than a word with an unusual history, and its plural simply adds "-s" in the usual way.

Synonyms: reburials, interments