recapitulum

Recapitulum is a Latin noun meaning a brief recap or short summary. In English-language academic usage, it may designate a concise restatement of the main points of a larger work, sometimes appearing as a formal or stylistic heading for a concluding or digestive section. The term is largely historical or specialized and is not common in contemporary technical writing.

Etymology and form: The word derives from Latin recapitulum, a diminutive form of recapitulationem, itself from recapitulari “to summarize again.” The diminutive suffix -ulum yields a sense of “a small recap,” hence the literal meaning “little recapitulation.”

Historical usage: Recapitulum appears in medieval and early modern Latin texts as a label for a compact digest or synopsis of a treatise, sermon, or argument. In some manuscripts and early printed books, it functioned as a designated portion that briefly restates essential points before proceeding to other material, or as a concluding summary for readers.

Modern usage: In contemporary English, recapitulum is seldom used outside historical or philological contexts. When employed, it often signals a deliberately formal or antiquated style, or it may be encountered in discussions of manuscript structure, scholarly apparatus, or bibliographic descriptions. More common modern equivalents include abstract, summary, or epitome.

See also: Recapitulation, summary, abstract, epitome, digest.

Notes: While not a standard term in most fields, recapitulum can appear in scholarly editors’ apparatus, Latin dictionaries, or discussions of historical how-to-summarize sections within longer works.