\(\displaystyle \begin{array}{c}\text{Pleonasms } \\ \\ \text{I first learned of }pleonasms\text{ about thirty years ago.} \\ \text{It was defined as the unnecessary lengthening of a word.} \\ \text{A classic example is using }orientated\text{ instead of }oriented. \\ \\ \text{I claim that the currently-favored word }factorize\text{ is a} \\ \text{pleonasm. \;The correct phrase is "factor the polynomial".} \\ \text{Apparently, teachers and textbooks have adopted this term.} \\ \text{To me it is a casual way of tweaking an established word:} \\ \text{a }motorized\text{ wheelchair, a }colorized\text{ movie. } \\ \\ \text{Before you complain that }f\!actorization\text{ is a legitimate word,} \\ \text{I remind you that }f\!actoring\text{ is the term for the process.} \\ \text{Hence, }f\!actorize\text{ and }f\!actorization\text{ are pleonasms.} \\ \\ \text{Yet I admit that "prime factorization" is far more impressive} \\ \text{than "prime factoring" ... probably coined for that very effect.} \\ \\ \text{I fear that someday soon we will }integralize\text{ a function.} \\ \text{And the process will be called }integralization.}\end{array}\)
\(\displaystyle \begin{array}{c}\text{A recent search on }pleonasm\text{ has shown a change in definition.} \\ \text{It is now: an unnecessary word or words in a description.} \\ \text{So its lofty status has demoted to a mere }Redundancy. \\ \\ \\
\text{We can find hundreds of lists of thousands of Redundancies.} \\ \\ \text{close proximity} \\ \text{surrounded on all sides} \\ \text{an autobiography of his life} \\ \text{please RSVP} \\ \text{advance warning} \\ \text{cooperate together} \\ \\ \text{ATM machine} \\ \text{HIV virus} \\ \text{ABS system} \\ \text{PIN number} \\ \\ \text{The last four are examples of} \\ \text{the Redundant Acronym Syndrome,} \\ \text{or as we refer to it: RAS syndrome.} \end{array}\)
