Perissos

Perissos is a Greek term meaning excess, surplus, or abundance. In classical Greek, it functions as an adjective and noun to describe quantities that exceed what is necessary or typical, as well as the idea of leftover or remaining amounts. The word is built from a root associated with abundance and is attested in various dialects of ancient Greek, as well as in modern Greek where περισσός (perissos) carries the sense of “extra” or “spare.”

In usage, perissos can describe both material and abstract excess. For example, it can refer to an abundance of wealth, resources, or goods, as well as to excess in behavior or speech in literary and rhetorical contexts. In scholarly discussions, the concept of excess linked to the same root has appeared in analyses of style and economy of expression, where over-elaboration might be described as a form of perissos or an excess relative to a given norm.

Modern Greek retains a related sense in which περισσός denotes something extra or leftover, and the term continues to influence compounds and phrases that express surplus or abundance. Outside Greek, the root has appeared in academic discussions and etymological references to describe general notions of surplus across languages that have inherited or borrowed Greek vocabulary.

See also: Greek language, Greek vocabulary about abundance and excess, linguistic roots of abundance terms.