New Year. Old Word. Think of this as WOTD Redux.
adjective | ree-DUKS
Definition: brought back (always used postpositively).
“Postpositively,” you ask?
In Latin, redux comes from the verb reducere, meaning “to lead back.” It can also mean “brought back” or “bringing back.” The Romans used redux as a modifier for the name of the goddess Fortuna with its “bringing back” meaning. People trusted Fortuna Redux would bring those far from home back safely. It was the “brought back” meaning that made its way into English. Redux belongs to a small class of English adjectives that are always used postpositively. That is, they always follow the words they modify. Redux has a history of showing up in titles of English works. Consider John Dryden’s “Astraea Redux,” a 17th-century poem on the restoration of Charles the 2nd. Or how about Anthony Trollope’s 19th-century “Phineas Redux.” And let’s not forget John Updike’s 20th-century classic, “Rabbit Redux.” (Oh yeah, let’s not forget that one!)
Used in a sentence:
“With No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama facing off in the ‘Game of the Century’ redux, ticket prices are surging to levels rarely seen across college football.” Jeff Nowak, The New Orleans Advocate, 5 Nov. 2019
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Hmmmm. I wonder what ticket prices are like for LSU – Clemson?