Online Etymology Dictionary

recall (v.): 1580s, "to bring back by calling upon," from re- "back, again" + call (v.); in some cases a loan-translation of Middle French rappeler (see repeal (v.)) or Latin revocare (see revoke). Sense of "bring back to memory" is from 1610s. Related: Recalled; recalling.
recall (n.): 1650s, "act of recalling to mind," from recall (v.). In U.S. politics, "removal of an elected official," 1902.
recant (v.): 1530s, from Latin recantare "recall, revoke," from re- "back" (see re-) + cantare "to chant" (see chant (v.)). A word from the Reformation. Loan-translation of Greek palinoidein "recant," from palin "back" + oeidein "to sing." Related: Recanted; recanting.
recantation (n.): 1540s, noun of action from recant.
recap (v.): 1856, "put a cap on again," from re- + cap (n.). Specific sense "put a strip of rubber on the tread of a tire" is 1920s. As a shortened form of recapitulate, it dates from 1920s. Related: Recapped; recapping.
recapitulate (v.): 1560s, back-formation from recapitulation and also from Late Latin recapitulatus, past participle of recapitulare. Related: Recapitulated; recapitulating.
recapitulation (n.): late 14c., "a summarizing," from Old French recapitulacion (13c.), from Late Latin recapitulationem (nominative recapitulatio), noun of action from past participle stem of recapitulare "go over the main points of a thing again," literally "restate by heads or chapters," from re- "again" (see re-) + capitulum "main part" (see chapter).
recapture (n.): 1680s; see re- "back, again" + capture (n.).
recapture (v.): 1783, from re- "back, again" + capture (v.). Related: Recaptured; recapturing.
recast (v.): c. 1600, from re- + cast (v.). Of literary works and other writing, from 1790. Theater sense is from 1951.
recce: 1941, military slang, short for reconnaissance.
recede (v.): early 15c., from Middle French receder, from Latin recedere "to go back, fall back; withdraw, depart, retire," from re- "back" (see re-) + cedere "to go" (see cede). Related: Receded; receding.
receipt (n.): late 14c., "act of receiving;" also "statement of ingredients in a potion or medicine;" from Anglo-French or Old North French receite "receipt, recipe, prescription" (c. 1300), altered (by influence of receit "he receives," from Vulgar Latin *recipit) from Old French recete, from Latin recepta "received," fem. past participle of recipere (see receive). Meaning "written acknowledgment of money or goods received" is from c. 1600.
receivable (adj.): late 14c., from receive + -able, and in part from Anglo-French or Old French recevable, from Old French recoivre. Related: Receivables.
receive (v.): c. 1300, from Old North French receivre (Old French recoivre) "seize, take hold of, pick up; welcome, accept," from Latin recipere "regain, take back, bring back, carry back, recover; take to oneself, take in, admit," from re- "back," though the exact sense here is obscure (see re-) + -cipere, comb. form of capere "to take" (see capable). Radio and (later) television sense is attested from 1908. Related: Received; receiving.
received (adj.): "generally accepted as true or good," mid-15c., past participle adjective from receive. Thomas Browne called such notions receptaries (1646).
receiver (n.): mid-14c. (mid-13c. as a surname), agent noun from receive, or from Old French recevere (Modern French receveur), agent noun from recievere. As a telephone apparatus, from 1877; in reference to a radio unit, from 1891; in U.S. football sense, from 1897.
receivership (n.): late 15c., "office of a receiver" (of public revenues), from receiver + -ship. As "condition of being under control of a receiver," 1884.
recension (n.): 1630s, from Latin recensionem (nominative recensio) "an enumeration," noun of action from past participle stem of recensere "to count, enumerate, survey," from re- (see re-) + censere "to tax, rate, assess, estimate" (see censor (n.)).
recent (adj.): early 15c., from Latin recentem (nominative recens) "lately done or made, new, fresh, young," from re- (see re-) + PIE root *ken- (2) "fresh, new, young" (source also of Greek kainos "new;" Sanskrit kanina- "young;" Old Irish cetu- "first;" Old Church Slavonic načino "to begin," koni "beginning"). Related: Recently; recentness (1670s, but OED reports recency (1610s) was "Common in 19th c.").
receptacle (n.): late 14c., from Old French receptacle (14c.) and directly from Latin receptaculum "place to receive and store things," from receptare, frequentative of recipere "to hold, contain" (see receive). As an adjectival form, receptacular (1847) has been used.
reception (n.): late 14c., in astrology, "effect of two planets on each other;" sense of "act of receiving" is recorded from late 15c., from Latin receptionem (nominative receptio) "a receiving," noun of action from past participle stem of recipere (see receive). Sense of "ceremonial gathering" is 1882, from French.
receptionist (n.): "person hired to receive clients in an office," 1900, from reception + -ist. Originally in photography studios.
Let me not forget the receptionist -- generally and preferably, a woman of refined and gentle manners, well informed and specially gifted in handling people of varied dispositions. A woman especially who knows how to handle other women, and who can make herself beloved by the children who may visit the studio. A woman, also, who in a thoroughly suave and dignified way, knows just how to handle the young man of the period so that the photographer may be glad to have his business. What a power the receptionist is when properly chosen and trained. It is not too much to say that she can both make and destroy a business, if she has the amount of discretionary power given to her in some galleries. [John A. Tennant, "Business Methods Applied in Photography," "Wilson's Photographic Magazine," October 1900]
Earlier as an adjective in theology and law (1867).
receptive (adj.): 1540s, from Medieval Latin receptivus, from Latin recipere (see receive). Related: Receptivity.
receptor (n.): mid-15c., from Old French receptour or directly from Latin receptor, agent noun from recipere (see receive). Medical use from 1900.
recess (n.): 1530s, "act of receding," from Latin recessus "a going back, retreat," from recessum, past participle of recedere "to recede" (see recede). Meaning "hidden or remote part" first recorded 1610s; that of "period of stopping from usual work" is from 1620s, probably from parliamentary notion of "recessing" into private chambers.
recess (v.): 1809, from recess (n.). Related: Recessed; recessing.
recession (n.): 1640s, "act of receding, a going back," from French récession "a going backward, a withdrawing," and directly from Latin recessionem (nominative recessio) "a going back," noun of action from past participle stem of recedere (see recede).

Sense of "temporary decline in economic activity," 1929, noun of action from recess (q.v.):
The material prosperity of the United States is too firmly based, in our opinion, for a revival in industrial activity -- even if we have to face an immediate recession of some magnitude -- to be long delayed. ["Economist," Nov. 2, 1929]
Ayto notes, "There was more than a hint of euphemism in the coining of this term."
recessional (adj.): 1858, from recession + -al (1). As a noun, "hymn sung while the clergy and choir are leaving church," 1864, with -al (2).
recessive (adj.): 1670s, from Latin recess-, past participle stem of recedere (see recede) + -ive. Linguistics sense is from 1879; in genetics, 1900, from German recessiv (Mendel, 1865). Related: Recessiveness.
recharge (v.): early 15c., "to reload" (a vessel), from re- "again, back" + charge "to load" (q.v.); modeled on Old French rechargier "to load, load back on" (13c.). Meaning "re-power a battery" is from 1876. Related: Recharged; recharging. The noun is recorded from 1610s in English.
rechargeable (adj.): 1901 of batteries, etc., from recharge + -able. Earlier in financial accounts.
recherche (adj.): 1722, from French recherché "carefully sought out," past participle of rechercher "to seek out" (12c.), from re-, here perhaps suggesting repeated activity (see re-) + chercher "to search," from Latin circare, in Late Latin "to wander hither and thither," from circus "circle" (see circus). Commonly used 19c. of food, styles, etc., to denote obscure excellence.
recidivate (v.): "fall back; relapse," 1520s, from Medieval Latin recidivatus, past participle of recidivare "to relapse" (see recidivist). Related: Recidivated; recidivating.
recidivism (n.): "habit of relapsing" (into crime), 1882, from recidivist + -ism, modeled on French récidivisme, from récidiver.
recidivist (n.): "relapsed criminal," 1863, from French récidiviste, from récidiver "to fall back, relapse," from Medieval Latin recidivare "to relapse into sin," from Latin recidivus "falling back," from recidere "fall back," from re- "back, again" (see re-) + comb. form of cadere "to fall" (see case (n.)). Recidivation in the spiritual sense is attested from early 15c., was very common 17c.
recipe (n.): 1580s, "medical prescription," from Middle French récipé (15c.), from Latin recipe "take!," second person imperative singular of recipere "to take" (see receive); word written by physicians at the head of prescriptions. Figurative use from 1640s. Meaning "instructions for preparing food" first recorded 1743. The original sense survives only in the pharmacist's abbreviation Rx.
recipient (n.): 1550s, from Middle French récipient (16c.) and directly from Latin recipientem (nominative recipiens), present participle of recipere (see receive). As an adjective from 1610s. Related: Recipience; recipiency.
reciprocal (adj.): 1560s, with -al (1) + stem of Latin reciprocus "returning the same way, alternating," from pre-Latin *reco-proco-, from *recus (from re- "back;" see re-, + -cus, adjective formation) + *procus (from pro- "forward;" see pro-, + -cus. Related: Reciprocally. The noun meaning "that which is reciprocal" (to another) is from 1560s.
reciprocate (v.): "to return, requite," 1610s, back-formation from reciprocation, or else from Latin reciprocatus, past participle of reciprocare "rise and fall, move back and forth; reverse the motion of," from reciprocus (see reciprocal). Related: Reciprocated; reciprocating.
reciprocating (adj.): "moving back and forth," 1690s, present participle adjective from reciprocate (v.). Specifically of machines by 1822.
reciprocation (n.): 1520s, "mode of expression;" 1560s, "act of reciprocating," from Latin reciprocationem (nominative reciprocatio) "retrogression, alternation, ebb," noun of action from past participle stem of reciprocare "move back, turn back," also "come and go, move back and forth;" from reciprocus (see reciprocal).
reciprocity (n.): 1766, from French réciprocité (18c.), from reciproque, from Latin reciprocus, past participle of reciprocare (see reciprocal).
recision (n.): "act of cutting off," 1610s, from Middle French recision, alteration of rescision (from Late Latin rescissionem "annulment;" see rescission), influenced in form by Late Latin recisionem (nominative recisio) "a cutting back," noun of action from past participle stem of recidere "to cut back" (see recidivist).
recital (n.): 1510s, a legal term, "rehearsal or statement of relevant facts," from recite + -al. Meaning "act of reciting" is from 1610s; musical performance sense is from 1811.
recitation (n.): late 15c., "act of detailing," from Old French récitation (14c.) and directly from Latin recitationem (nominative recitatio) "public reading, a reading aloud," noun of action from past participle stem of recitare (see recite). Meaning "act of repeating aloud" is from 1620s; that of "repetition of a prepared lesson" is first recorded 1770, American English.
recitative (n.): "style of musical declamation intermediate between speech and singing, form of song resembling declamation," 1650s, from Italian recitativo, from recitato, past participle of recitare, from Latin recitare "read out, read aloud" (see recite). From 1640s as an adjective. The Italian form of the word was used in English from 1610s.
recite (v.): early 15c., from Old French reciter (12c.) and directly from Latin recitare "read aloud, read out, repeat from memory, declaim," from re- "back, again" (see re-) + citare "to summon" (see cite). Related: Recited; reciting.
reck (v.): Old English reccan (2) "take care of, be interested in, care for; have regard to, take heed of; to care, heed; desire (to do something)" (strong verb, past tense rohte, past participle rought), from West Germanic *rokjan, from Proto-Germanic *rokja- (source also of Old Saxon rokjan, Middle Dutch roeken, Old Norse rækja "to care for," Old High German giruochan "to care for, have regard to," German geruhen "to deign," which is influenced by ruhen "to rest").
And in that very moment, away behind in some courtyard of the City, a cock crowed. Shrill and clear he crowed, recking nothing of wizardry or war, welcoming only the morning that in the sky far above the shadows of death was coming with the dawn. [J.R.R. Tolkien, "Return of the King," 1955]
The -k- sound is probably a northern influence from Norse. No known cognates outside Germanic. "From its earliest appearance in Eng., reck is almost exclusively employed in negative or interrogative clauses" [OED]. Related: Recked; recking.
reck (n.): "care, heed, consideration," 1560s, from reck (v.).