'Restructure' appeared in 1942 — 're-' + 'struere' (to build). Often a euphemism for layoffs.
To organize differently; to give a new structure to a system, organization, or piece of writing.
A modern English compound of 're-' (again, anew) and 'structure,' from Latin 'structūra' (a fitting together, a building, a construction), from 'struere' (to pile up, to build, to arrange), past participle 'strūctus.' Latin 'struere' descends from PIE *strew- (to spread, to strew, to scatter), an extended form of *ster- (to spread out, to stretch). This root is extraordinarily productive: Latin 'sternere' (to spread out, to lay flat) → 'stratum' (a layer spread out) → 'street' (a paved, spread-out road); Greek στρώννυμι (strṓnnumi, I spread out); Old English 'strēowian' (to strew, to scatter); German 'streuen' (to scatter). The semantic evolution
In corporate language, 'restructuring' is one of the most feared euphemisms — it almost always means layoffs. The word's Latin etymology makes the euphemism work: 'restructuring' sounds like building something new and improved, but it typically means tearing down parts of what exists. Companies 'restructure' rather than 'fire people' for the same reason governments
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