respondeo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [rɛsˈpɔn.de.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [resˈpɔn.de.o]^[1]

Forms

respondeō (present infinitive respondēre, perfect active respondī, supine respōnsum); second conjugation, third person-only in the passive^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin re- (“back”) + spondeō (“to pledge, promise”).^[2][1] The verb spondeō is inherited from Proto-Italic *spondeje/o- (“to libate, pledge”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *spond-eie/o- (“to libate”), cognate with Ancient Greek σπένδω (spéndō, “to pour a libation”) and Hittite išpānt-i (“to libate”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Livius Andronicus.^[3] Köbler dates his career to before 200 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Its literal sense was to promise something in return, as in Plautus' pār parī respondēre “to return like for like”.^[5][6] The OLD thinks “to reply” was originally a legal term for answering the question of a formal pledge.^[2] It meant to reply, to say or write in answer, and to give a formal reply, as rulers to envoys, oracles and jurists to those who consulted them.^[2] It also meant to appear when summoned, to answer a charge, to echo, to match or correspond with, and to yield a return.^[1]

It survives in Italian rispondere, French répondre and Spanish responder, and English respond is recorded about 1300.^[1][7]

Timeline

• before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus uses it.^[3][4]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses pār parī respondēre.^[5][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero complains that envoys were neither heard nor answered.^[2][4]
• c. 1300 – English respond is recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To promise in return, pār parī respondēre, to return like for like.^[5]
2. To reply, answer.^[2]
3. To give a formal reply (of rulers, oracles, jurists).^[2]
4. To appear when summoned; to answer (a charge).^[1]
5. (of sound) To echo, resound.^[1]
6. To match, correspond with.^[1]
7. To yield a return.^[1]

Word family

• respōnsiō
• respōnsor
• responsoria
• respōnsum
• responsus
• correspondeō
• respōnsitō
• respōnsīvus
• respōnsō

Related words

• cōnspondeō
• dēspondeō
• spondeō
• English respond
• English response
• English responsible
• English sponsor

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com