regain (English)

Where does "regain" come from?

The English noun 'regain' comes from the Middle French 'regaigner'[1], which is formed from the prefix 're-' combined with 'gagner' meaning 'to gain'[2].

Full etymology tree

• regain (English), 'The act or process of regaining something.'
  • borrowed regaigner (Middle French)
    • affix re- (Middle French), 're- (again; once more)'
    • derived gagner (Middle French)

Sources

1. regain (English) - Wiktionary
2. regagner (French) - Wiktionary

Updated September 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris