Origin: A borrowing from French. Etymon: French abundance.
Etymology: < Anglo-Norman abundaunce, habundaunce, aboundans, haboundance, haboundaunce, Anglo-Norman and Middle French abondance, abundance, habondance, habundance (French abondance ) more than sufficient quantity, profusion, superfluity, prosperity, surfeit (all 12th cent. in Old French or Anglo-Norman), riches, material goods, possessions (13th cent.; frequently in plural), generosity (14th cent.) < classical Latin abundantia overflow, excessive amount, large amount, surfeit, excessive expenditure, lavishness, exuberance of style, abundant harvest or yield, quality of being well stocked, wealth, affluence < abundant- , abundāns abundant adj. + -ia -ia suffix1; compare -ance suffix. Compare later abundancy n. Compare also abound v.1, abundant adj.Spellings with h- in French and English probably result partly from folk-etymological association with classical Latin habēre to have; compare abound v.1, abundant adj. In γ. forms either by aphesis or by analysis of the first syllable as the indefinite article a . The use as adverb probably developed from the adverbial phrase in abundance at sense A. 2; perhaps also partly by association with enough adj. and enough adv. in similar constructions.
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- Eddie