'returnee' originates from the English word 'return,' combined with the suffix '-ee,' which indicates a person who is the recipient or beneficiary of an action.

'return' changed from the Old French word 'retourner' and eventually became the modern English word 'return.' The suffix '-ee' was added to form 'returnee.'

Initially, it meant 'one who returns,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.