I was thinking about the word research yesterday. It is not, I suppose, unusual for me to be thinking about research, but it’s usually that I’m thinking about my research. It’s that whole signifier/signified thing. Anyway, it’s a weird word, when you think about it. Re-search. As in, searching again. I mean, replication is desirable in research, and replicated research surely is re-search. But the research being replicated, I suppose that would have to be the first search. So to speak.
BTW, The OED has 4 definitions of research. And of course, to search again is precisely the definition of 2 of them, both as a noun and as a verb.