Etymology

refactor

R1E1F4A1C3T1O1R1

Today it means: To rewrite existing source code in order to improve its readability, reusability or structure without affecting its meaning or behaviour. Full definition →

English factor ← Middle English factour ← Anglo-Norman factour
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The story

  1. Proto-Italic*wre-
  2. Latinre-
  3. Old Frenchre-
  4. Middle Englishre-
  5. Englishre-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁k-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*dʰh₁kyéti
  9. Proto-Italic*θakjō
  10. Proto-Italic*fakjō
  11. Latinfaciō
  12. Latinfactor
  13. Middle Frenchfacteur
  14. Latinfactor
  15. Anglo-Normanfactour
  16. Middle Englishfactour
  17. Englishfactor
  18. English todayrefactor

From re- + factor.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.