'retint' originates from English, formed by the prefix 're-' meaning 'again' and the word 'tint' (from Old French 'teint' / 'tint', ultimately from Latin 'tingere' meaning 'to dye').

'tint' entered Middle English from Old French 'teint' (past participle of 'teindre'), itself from Latin 'tingere'; 're-' was later prefixed in English to create 'retint' (literally 'tint again'), and the verbal/noun forms developed by regular English suffixation (e.g. '-ing', '-ed').

Initially, 'tint' referred to the act of dyeing or the resulting shade; over time the compound 'retint' came to mean specifically 'to apply a tint again' (i.e., repeat the tinting process) rather than an original dyeing.