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Origin and history of redundant

redundant(adj.)

"superfluous, exceeding what is natural or necessary," c. 1600, from Latin redundantem (nominative redundans), present participle of redundare, literally "overflow, pour over; be over-full;" figuratively "be in excess," from re- "again" (see re-) + undare "rise in waves," from unda "a wave" (from PIE *unda-, nasalized form of root *wed- (1) "water; wet").

Also sometimes in 17c. in a more positive sense, "abounding to excess or fullness, exuberant, plentiful," e.g. in "Paradise Lost," though what he meant by it here is anyone's guess:

With burnished neck of verdant gold, erect
Amidst his circling spires that on the grass
Floated redundant.

 Of persons, in employment situations by 1928, chiefly British. Related: Redundantly. As a verb, redund has been tried at least once (1904); the etymological corresponding verb is the Frenchified redound.

also from c. 1600

Entries linking to redundant

redound(v.)

late 14c., redounden, "to overflow, flow abundantly; abound, multiply, increase" (senses now obsolete), also "to flow or go back" (to a place or person), "be sent, rolled, or driven back," from Old French redonder "overflow, abound, be in profusion" (12c.), from Latin redundare "to overflow" (see redundant). Hence "to contribute, have effect" (to the credit, honor, etc.), early 15c. Related: Redounded; redounding.

dander(n.2)

"temper, anger, passion," 1831, American English, of unknown origin; perhaps a figurative use somehow of dander (n.1), or of West Indian dander, dunder "fermentation of sugar" (in English from 1796), from Spanish redundar "to overflow," from Latin redundare (see redundant).

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redemption
mid-14c., redemcioun, "deliverance from sin," from Old French redemcion (12c.) and directly from Latin redemptionem (nominative redemptio) "a buying back or off, a releasing, a ransoming" (also "bribery"), noun of action from past-participle stem of redimere "to redeem, buy back,
excess
"a going beyond ordinary, necessary, or proper limits; superfluity; undue indulgence of appetite, want of restraint in gratifying the desires; the amount by which one number or quantity exceeds another," late 14c., from Old French exces (14c.) "excess, extravagance, outrage," fro
extra
1650s as a stand-alone adjective; also used as an adverb and noun in 17c. (see extra-); modern usages — including sense of "minor performer in a play" (1777) and "special edition of a newspaper" (1793) — probably all are from shortenings of extraordinary, which in 18c. was used e
salt-cellar
"small vessel for holding salt, used on the table," mid-15c., a redundant formation from salt (n.) + saler "salt-cellar"...As the etymological connection between saler and "salt" was lost, a redundant salt- was tacked on to the beginning of the...
practitioner
acquires knowledge from actual practice;" a hybrid formed from practitian "practitioner" (c. 1500; see practician), with redundant...
thence
From thence is redundant....
assemble
Assemble together is redundant....
supernumerary
"exceeding a stated or prescribed number," c. 1600, from Late Latin supernumarius "excess, counted in over" (of soldiers added to a full legion), from Latin super numerum "beyond the number," from super "beyond, over" (see super-) + numerum, accusative of numerus "number" (see nu
parse
1550s, in grammar, "to state the part of speech of a word or the words in a sentence," a verbal use of Middle English pars (n.) "part of speech" (c. 1300), from Old French pars, plural of part "a part," from Latin pars "a part, piece" (from PIE root *pere- (2) "to grant, allot")
spare
Middle English sparren, from Old English sparian, Mercian spearian, "refrain from harming or injury, leave undamaged; be indulgent to, allow to go free; use sparingly," from the source of Old English spær "sparing, frugal," from Proto-Germanic *sparaz (source also of Old Saxon sp

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