'recuperate' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'recuperare,' where 're-' meant 'again' and 'cuperare' meant 'to take or seize.'

'recuperare' transformed into the French word 'récupérer,' and eventually became the modern English word 'recuperate' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'to regain or recover something,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.