're-tint' originates from the English prefix 're-' (from Latin 're-' meaning 'again') combined with the word 'tint,' which ultimately comes from Old French 'teint' (from the verb 'teindre') and Latin 'tingere' meaning 'to dye'.

'tint' changed from Old French 'teint' (and verb 'teindre') derived from Latin 'tingere' and eventually became the modern English word 'tint'; the modern English formation 're-tint' is a combination of the productive prefix 're-' + 'tint'.

Initially, 'tint' meant 'a dyed color' or 'the act of dyeing' in older usage; over time it evolved to mean 'a shade or hue' and the verb 'to tint' came to mean 'to give color' — 're-tint' specifically developed as 'to give color again'.