Recourse

Use this forum to discuss past Good Words.
User avatar
Dr. Goodword
Site Admin
Posts: 7407
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 9:28 am
Location: Lewisburg, PA
Contact:

Recourse

Postby Dr. Goodword » Mon Apr 24, 2023 6:59 pm

• recourse •


Pronunciation: ree-kors, ri-korsHear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: 1. Access to something or someone for aid with a problem. 2. Resort, the thing or person we turn to. 3. (Law) The right of a creditor to turn to an endorser in case the primary debtor fails to pay.

Notes: Here is a word that looks and sounds like a change in course. When used as a verb it does; it means "to return, go back". The adjectives, recoursary and recourseful, died out in the 18th century.

In Play: Today's word is at home in discussions of serious issues: "People in an authoritarian society are denied recourse to the courts on issues the dictator opposes." But it is comfortable around the house, too: "Little Billy knew that should his mother ever refuse him anything he always had recourse in his father."

Word History: Today's Good Word is another English picked up from French, this time recours, a remodeling of Latin recursus "running back, returning". This noun came from recurrere "to run back, return", made up of re- "back, over, again" + currere "to run". Latin may have reworked PIE wert- "to turn" into re-, no one is sure. However, we are sure currere was based on PIE k'ers-/k'ors- "to run", source also of Greek karron "four-wheel wagon", Armenian kark "cart", Welsh cert "cart", and Breton karr "chariot, wagon". Latin carrum "chariot" became carra in Street Latin. Old French turned this word into car(re) and char "car" and chariot is the augmentative of this word. English converted the Old French word into car and cart.
• The Good Dr. Goodword

Return to “Good Word Discussion”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Ahrefs [Bot], Google [Bot], Semrush [Bot] and 19 guests