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redondant

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Etymology and origin of the French word redondant

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1300s early 14th century, Jean Chapuis, Trésor More words from the 13th century
Borrowed from
Latin redundans
Ultimate origin
Latin unda

Pronunciation

  • /ʁə.dɔ̃.dɑ̃/[1]

Forms

redondant (feminine redondante, masculine plural redondants, feminine plural redondantes)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin redundāns (“overflowing, superfluous”), the participle of redundō (“to overflow”).[2][3][4][1] Rey stresses that it was taken directly from Latin, not formed on the French verb redonder.[3] The Latin verb is formed on unda (“wave”), with the prefix re-.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi's first record, an isolated one from the early 14th century in Jean Chapuis's Trésor, means “overabundant”.[2] The Grand Robert, the Petit Robert and the GLLF date this isolated use to about 1265 and the GLLF assigns it to Jean de Meun,[4][6][7] while Rey dates it to about 1278.[3]

Semantic evolution

After that isolated record the word spread in the 16th century for wording marked by needless abundance and for what is superfluous in speech, as in Du Bellay (1559).[3][2] By the 18th century it described an emphatic, inflated style,[2] and it was used more broadly for “excessive” from 1839, a use that spread in the 20th century.[3][2] The TLFi also records it, now dated, for a fleshy, plump person (Michelet, 1859).[2]

In mathematics the hyperbole redondante appears in the Encyclopédie in 1765;[2] English had the term from 1710.[2] In the second half of the 20th century, after English redundant in information theory, it entered linguistics (1968) and computing.[3][2]

Timeline

  • Early 14th century – An isolated record meaning “overabundant”.[2]
  • 1559 – Du Bellay uses it for what is superfluous in speech.[2][3]
  • Before 1745 – Desfontaines applies it to an emphatic, inflated style.[2]
  • 1765 – Hyperbole redondante in the Encyclopédie.[2]
  • 1839 – Barbey d'Aurevilly uses it in the broader sense “excessive”.[2][3]
  • 1968 – It becomes a term of linguistics.[2][3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Marked by redondance, verbose: une phrase redondante.[6][7]
  2. Superfluous, saying again what has already been said.[6][7]
  3. (linguistics) Carrying information that is already given elsewhere in the utterance.[6]
  4. (computing) Using more symbols than are needed to represent the information.[6]
  5. (dated) Of a person: fleshy, plump.[2]
  • redondance
  • redonder
  • onde
  • Latin redundāns

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Picoche, Jacqueline (1991), Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris: Le Robert (Les Usuels du Robert)
  6. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Redondant.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/redondant. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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