Réttrar

Réttrar is a neologism that has emerged in Francophone technical and scholarly discourse in the early 2020s. There is no universally accepted definition, and it is not yet included in major dictionaries. Used primarily in online discussions and experimental writing, it signals a backward movement or restoration within a process.

In technology and computing, réttrar is used to describe actions that revert a system to a previously known good state, akin to rollback or restore. Some writers extend the sense to tracing the history of changes to enable a time-reverse analysis of configurations or code. In narrative theory and media studies, réttrar has been proposed as a device for signaling backward progression in a plot or for highlighting retrocausal elements. In cultural or policy discussions, the term has been used more rarely to describe efforts to revert to earlier social arrangements or to undo recent reforms.

Origin and etymology: the coinage appears to blend the French rétro- prefix meaning backward with an -ar/verb-like ending, but there is no consensus. This lack of standardized meaning reflects its status as an informal, evolving term rather than a defined technical concept. As usage grows, the term may acquire a precise definition in specific communities.

Related concepts include rollback, backtracking, and retrospection. Réttrar remains primarily a marker of discourse found in niche discussions and early-stage writings, with broad acceptance still forthcoming.