'rearrange' originates from the prefix 're-' meaning 'again' and the word 'arrange' from Old French 'arangier', meaning 'to set in order'.

'arangier' transformed into the Middle English word 'arrangen', and eventually became the modern English word 'arrange', with 're-' added to form 'rearrange'.

Initially, it meant 'to set in order again', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.