Zed's thoughts and mine must've been on parallel tracks today. Tonight during choir practice there was some discussion and going-over of a particular chord sequence, and this discordant (heh) question came into my mind: why doesn't the word resolve mean to solve again?

The answer to a problem is its solution. It is in that sense that one solves a problem ... one melts it in liquid, I guess. A problem with a solution is soluble, just like sugar is soluble in coffee. I think it all comes down from the Latin where resolvere meant something like loosen or untie or dissolve or maybe even melt.

P.S. The Big Boys will weigh in soon with all the heavy references and we will learn much more together.

Solvere means 'to untie.' Resolvere means 'to untie.' The re- prefix in this case is an intensifier and is not used in its other meanings of 'again, anew' or 'back.'

Faldage's intensifier explanation makes a lot of sense, particularly since one of the definitions of "resolve" is "solve":

From Dictionary.com:

resolve

5. To find a solution to; solve. See Synonyms at solve.

This may sound like a stretch but there is a sense in which the number 1 definition of "resolve", namely, "To make a firm decision about" does mean to "solve again", Jackie.

When we "solve" a problem, we do not necessarily act on its implications.

"Solving" a problem gives us an intellectual understanding of a particular fact situation. It does not necessarily give us the "resolve" to act on that understanding.

When we take action on a problem we have solved, we take that which we have solved to a higher level. In this sense, we have 'redoubled' the solving. We have converted passive awareness into practical consequences.

Re as an intensifier, does that apply to the word review since one often reviews what one has not viewed or is it just in-exact speech becoming habit?

Dr. Bill inquires: Dear Plutarch: how then does 'resolve' also mean to make a decision, a commitment?

Perhaps in this sense:

After one "solves" a problem, it's a usually a good idea to "make a decision or commitment" to act on the new awareness.

To express this idea epigrammatically, you could say:

When you solve, resolve, to make a difference.

"Solve" is to "resolve" what "awareness" is to "commitment".