[ad. late L. tautologia (c. 350 in Mar. Plotin. Sacerd.), a. Gr. ταύτολογία, f. ταύτολόγος: see TAUTOLOGOUS; in F. tautologie.]
a. A repetition of the same statement. b. The repetition (esp. in the immediate context) of the same word or phrase, or of the same idea or statement in other words: usually as a fault of style.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1553/1. This ambassage is reported in the historie of Scotland, wherevnto (for the auoiding of tautologie) we refer the reader.
a. 1653. Gouge, Comm. Heb. (1655), 99. To show that there is no tautology, no vain repetition of one and the same thing therein.
1686. Goad, Celest. Bodies, I. xii. 56. The Taedium of Tautology is odious to every Pen and Ear.
a. 1748. Watts, Improv. Mind, II. ii. § 4. By securing you from an appearance of tautology, or repeating the same words too often.
1790. Wesley, Wks. (1872), IV. 487. That villanous tautology of lawyers, which is the scandal of our nation.
1869. Farrar, Fam. Speech, iv. (1873), 134. One leading syllable thrusting itself with the most obtrusive tautology through a whole sentence.
c. With a and pl. An instance of this; a tautological phrase or expression; † a repetition of something already said (quot. 1599).
1579. Fulke, Confut. Sanders, 644. It is a foolish tautologie, for you sayed the same immediatly before.
1599. Broughton’s Lett., ix. 32. Euery later paperwork of yours is but a Tautology of the former.
1698. Wanley, in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden), 258. I called the library a venerable place; the Books sacred reliques of Antiquity, &c.; with half a dozen tautologies.
1844. Ld. Brougham, Brit. Const., xix. § 1 (1862), 309. Repetitions and tautologies are used.
d. Applied to the repetition of a statement as its own reason, or to the identification of cause and effect.
1659. Pearson, Creed, ii. (1839), 157. To assign any thing as the cause or reason of itself, is a great absurdity, and the expression of it a vain tautology.
1662. H. More, Philos. Writ., Pref. Gen. (1712), 15. The resolution of such Phaenomena as we experience in ourselves … into this vital oneness,… is no vain Tautology, or the mere saying a thing is so because it is so.
1836–7. Sir W. Hamilton, Metaph. (1859), II. xxxix. 377. There is thus conceived an absolute tautology between the effect and its causes. We think the causes to contain all that is contained in the effect; the effect to contain nothing which was not contained in the causes.
e. transf. A mere repetition of acts, incidents, or experiences; in quot. 1650, used for the sending of a thing to its place of origin.
1650. Fuller, Pisgah, II. v. 128. Some wil object it was a real tautology to bring purples to Tyre, seeing the best of the world were made in that place.
1657. W. Dillingham, Cont. Siege of Ostend, in Sir. F. Vere’s Comm. It was so thick stuck with bullets, that the Ordnance could scarcely shoot without a tautologie, and hitting its former bullets.
1687. Norris, Coll. Misc. (1699), 324. Our whole Life is but a nauseous Tautology.
1863. Cowden Clarke, Shaks. Char., i. 14. The poet has avoided a dramatic tautology (if I may so use the term) in bringing about the death of two worthy men immediately upon the heels of each other.
