An adjective is redundant when the noun after it conveys the meaning of the adjective. For example, I once saw an ambulance car labeled “Fast Ambulance” in red; how redundant the adjective “fast” is here? What is the use of an ambulance if it is not fast? Somebody please tell me.
Here are other examples where I, usually, find the adjective redundant:
Fragile glass
Loving mother
Horrible crime
Loyal friend
Small point
Hot summer (not globally redundant)
Lethal weapon
Sweet candy
Cute young woman (All the ladies that I know personally are cute and young, right?)
Even though an adjective maybe redundant, its presence emphasizes and decorates the meaning of a noun, I guess that is why one gets tempted to overuse adjectives.
Is the adjective “false” in “false perception” always somehow redundant? I hope it is not.
Do you think of other examples? Please let me know.
Showing posts with label linguistics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label linguistics. Show all posts
Friday, February 9, 2007
Redundant Adjectives
Posted by Omar the Royal Blue at 3:59 PM 12 comments
Labels: linguistics
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