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Origin and history of recreation

recreation(n.)

late 14c., recreacioun, "refreshment or curing of a person, refreshment by eating," from Old French recreacion (13c.), from Latin recreationem (nominative recreatio) "recovery from illness," noun of action from past participle stem of recreare "to refresh, restore, make anew, revive, invigorate," from re- "again" (see re-) + creare "create" (from PIE root *ker- (2) "to grow"). Meaning "refresh oneself by some amusement" is first recorded c. 1400.

A verb recreate "to refresh by physical influence after exertion" is attested from 15c. and was used by Lyly, Pope, Steele, and Harriet Martineau, but it did not take, probably to avoid confusion to the eye with the recreate (re-create) that means "create anew." Hence also recreation (re-creation) "a new creation, regeneration" (early 15c.); "act of creating anew" (1520s).

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to recreation

recreate(v.1)

also re-create, "to create anew, make again," 1580s, from re- "back, again," here, "repetition of an action," + create. Related: Recreated; recreating.

rec(n.)

1929 as a shortening of recreation.

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More to explore

refreshment
late 14c., "provision, provisioning; aid, encouragement; act or fact of refreshing; that which refreshes," originally mental and spiritual, from Old French refreschement (Modern French rafraîchissement), from refreschier "refresh, renew" (see refresh (v.)). Sense of "state of bei
diversion
early 15c., diversioun, "process of diverting," from Medieval Latin diversionem (nominative diversio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin divertere (see divert). Meaning "act of turning aside from a course of action" is from c. 1600; that of "act of diverting (some
pastime
"amusement, diversion, that which serves to make the time pass agreeably," late 15c., passe tyme "recreation, diversion,...Recreation is that sort of play or agreeable occupation which refreshes the tired person, making him as good as new....Diversion is a stronger word than recreation, representing that which turns one aside from ordinary serious work or thought...
resort
The meaning "place people go for recreation" is recorded by 1754....
holiday
"holy" (see holy) + dæg "day" (see day); in 14c. meaning both "religious festival" and "day of exemption from labor and recreation...
pursuit
Sense of "one's profession, recreation, etc." is attested from 1520s on the notion of "object of one's continued exertions...
orchard
English orceard "fruit garden; piece of ground, usually enclosed, devoted to the culture of fruit-trees," also for meeting, recreation...
frolic
"make merry, have fun, romp playfully," 1580s, from frolic (adj.) "joyous, merry, full of mirth" (1530s), from Middle Dutch vrolyc "happy," a compound of vro- "merry, glad" + lyc "like" (see like (adj.)). The first part of the compound is cognate with Old Norse frar "swift," Midd
fun
"diversion, amusement, mirthful sport," 1727, earlier "a cheat, trick" (c. 1700), from verb fun (1680s) "to cheat, hoax," which is of uncertain origin, probably a variant of Middle English fonnen "befool" (c. 1400; see fond). Scantly recorded in 18c. and stigmatized by Johnson as
caper
"to leap, skip, prance," 1580s, apparently short for obsolete capriole "to leap, skip," which is probably from Italian capriolare "jump in the air" (see cab). Related: Capered; capering....type of prickly Mediterranean bush, also in reference to the plant's edible buds, late 14c.

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