Etymograph

English

surplus

Surplus comes from Middle French surplus, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- ‘to fill’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pleh₁-1‘to fill’root named by Wiktionary · steps between not traced
  2. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600surplus1
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500surplus1
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1952surplus1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English surplus
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1952, United States. Congress. House. Committe, Moroccan air base construction. 2 v: “This employee was engaged to direct asphalt plants and…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pleh₁-Wiktionary, English surplus‘to fill’root named by Wiktionary · steps between not traced
  2. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600surplusWiktionary, English surplus
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500surplusWiktionary, English surplus
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1952surplusWiktionary, English surplus. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1952, United States. Congress. House. Committe, Moroccan air base construction. 2 v: “This employee was engaged to direct asphalt plants and…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- ‘to fill’

people, public, full, popular, complete, fill, plenty, supply, poll, folk, plain, completion, implement, accomplish, manipulation, comply, supplement, complement, ample, amplitude, plethora, depletion, amplify, plurality, plenary, plural, replenish, replete, plenum, puri, volk, deplete, plebs, plebeian, fulsome, 74 more

Today it means

noun That which remains when use or need is satisfied, or when a limit is reached; excess; overplus; overage.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “surplus”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- / surplus

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