¨Tautology and Pleonasm?

Question

Can anyone explain what the difference between those two are? Please give some examples. Thanks

Thomas

Answer 1

Tautology means the redundant repetition of a meaning in a sentence, using different words
Example:
The British supermarket Tesco sells a brand of the herb lemon thyme which it describes as having an "aromatic aroma". Non-cognate synonyms may also produce a tautology; "free gift" is tautologous because a gift, by definition, is something given without charge. Other examples of tautology include phrases such as "new innovation" and "tuna fish". The Yogi Berra-esque statement "If you don't get any better, you'll never improve" is another example.

Pleonasm means the use of more words than are necessary to express a meaning or an example of using more words than are necessary to express a meaning, e.g. "free gift" or "sufficient enough"

Answer 2

AB gives a great explanation. I would only add that tautologies can occur in formal logic as well as rhetoric.

A logical tautology is a statement, containing at least two premises, wherein the premises are contingent on one another. This makes the statement true, regardless of the truth value of the premises. This is the opposite of a contradiction, wherein a statement must NOT be true, regardless of the truth value of its premises.

Examples:

Either the Loch Ness Monster exists, or it doesn't. (This statement is true regardless of whether or not the Loch Ness Monster exists.

If John and Bettie came to the party as a couple, then John came to the party. (Regardless of whether or not John and Bettie came to the party, the statement must be true).

The famous baseball player Yogi Berra is remembered for spouting some truly silly quotes. Many of these statements involved tautologies, either explicit or inferred.

I knew the record would stand until it was broken.
If people don't want to come out to the ball park, nobody's gonna stop 'em.
We made too many wrong mistakes.
We have deep depth.
The future ain't what it used to be.
You can observe a lot by just watching.
You wouldn't have won if we'd beaten you.

Answer 3

Define Pleonasm