Reposals

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Acts of putting something or someone back in a previous place, position, or state ; instances of resting again or placing trust anew
2. Events where something is returned to its former setting ; occasions of finding relaxation once more or reinstating confidence
3. The process of restoring an item or person to an earlier condition ; moments of resuming restfulness or reestablishing reliance

Etymology: "Reposals" is the plural of "reposal," a noun meaning acts of returning. The word is built from "repose" plus the suffix "-al," the same ending found in words like "refusal" and "arrival." Here "repose" is not the familiar sense of rest or calm but the older verb meaning to place or lay back, as in putting something back where it was. The base "repose" entered English through Old French "reposer," itself from Latin "repausare," which combined "re-" (back, again) with a root meaning to pause or rest. The Latin root also gave English "pause," so the rest-sense of "repose" and the stopping-sense of "pause" share a common ancestor. The "-al" suffix came into English through Old French from Latin "-alis," where it formed adjectives and nouns of action.