redound
UK[rɪˈdaʊnd]US[rɪˈdaʊnd]
v
To have an effect or consequence, especially a positive one that enhances a person's reputation or credit.
v
To come back or recoil upon someone; to contribute or accrue to.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
dound
re
again, back
dound
to surge, to flow
Etymology
The word "redound" originates from the Latin verb redundare, meaning "to overflow, to stream over, to be in excess". This verb itself is a composite of the prefix re- (here intensifying the sense of "back" or "again") and undare ("to surge, to flow"), derived from unda ("wave"). The literal image is of a wave flowing back or overflowing its bounds. Over time, this physical sense evolved metaphorically in English to describe actions or effects that flow back to a source, either as a consequence that accrues to someone's credit or, less commonly, as something that recoils upon an originator. Thus, the modern abstract meaning retains the core logic of an action's consequence returning to its source, much like a wave washing back to shore.
Analysis
Structure: re (again, back) + dound (to surge, to flow)
re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back".
dound: From Latin undare (to surge, to flow), from unda (a wave).
Examples
His meticulous work on the project will redound to his professional benefit.
The charitable efforts of the company redound to the goodwill of the entire brand.
In the end, the criticism he aimed at others redounded upon himself.