Redoubtable

December 18th, 2011 by admin

Page 2 of 2 | Previous page

Posted in columns | 4 comments

Previous post:
Next post:

4 comments on this post.

  1. Brian C.:

    January 2nd, 2012 at 10:21 am

    The noun “redoubt” is etymologically unrelated to “doubt” and “redoubtable”. Here’s its etymology: c.1600, from Fr. redoute, from It. ridotto “place of retreat,” from M.L. reductus “place of refuge, retreat,” from L. reduct-, pp. stem of reducere “to lead or bring back” (see reduce). The -b- was added by influence of unrelated English doubt.

  2. john van sickle:

    August 13th, 2012 at 9:36 am

    bravo Brian for reducing ‘redoubt’ to ‘reductus': ah, etymology’s traps

  3. Jessie D:

    June 17th, 2019 at 10:11 am

    I came across the word in my Bible – Psalm 46 “ Come consider the works of The Lord, the REDOUBTABLE deeds He has done on the earth.

  4. Olivier Marchetta:

    August 3rd, 2021 at 8:42 am

    Redoutable in French means that a person or a weapon will induce a second (re) doubt into someon’s thoughts.
    For example, if you say “I have no doubts that I will beat this opponent easily!” then one could reply “Be careful, this opponent is redoutable”. Meaning: well, you should revise your doubts about it. Redoubtable.

Leave a comment