Etymologically
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respondeo

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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

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