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surplus

SUR-plus · noun

Middle FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Origin

Surplus comes from Middle English surplus, borrowed from Middle French surplus.

Journey

The facts available don't trace a meaning shift — the word appears to have carried its sense of 'more than needed' across from French into English largely intact.

Related words

French still uses surplus itself, showing how closely the English word has stayed tied to its French source.

More words

From Middle French

Nearby, A–Z

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