répondre French · revision 17464

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 980, Passion de Clermont (respondre)|origins=la spondeō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ʁe.pɔ̃dʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''répondre'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''respondre'', ''répondre'' from about 1155; the Académie wrote ''respondre'' in 1694 and 1718.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|respondre]], [[inh|la-vul|*respondĕre]], with a short “e”, an alteration of [[la|respondeō|t=to answer]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|10, 310a)^(Wiktionary) The Latin verb, from [[m|la|re-|t=back]] and [[m|la|spondeō|t=to promise solemnly]], was first a religious term, “to fulfil a solemn engagement”, then “to reply”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007) The family of “spondeō” also gave [[épouser]].^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|rispondere]] and [[es|responder]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ About 980 the ''Passion'' of Clermont has ''« Tu eps l'as deit » respon Jesus'' “‘You yourself have said it,’ Jesus answers”.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ By about 1100 the ''Chanson de Roland'' used it of a sound echoing back (''e respondent li val'').^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873) About 1160 it meant “to stand surety in law”, and, from 1174–76 ''répondre de'' “to answer for, be accountable for”, ''je vous en réponds'' dates from about 1530.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) In the liturgy the faithful ''respond'' to the priest (about 1190), whence ''répondre la messe''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ From about 1180 ''répondre à'' also meant “to correspond to”; a horse ''répond aux aides'' (1690), and in the 19th and 20th centuries one answers the door and the telephone.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) In the 20th century it also meant “to react as expected”, of a machine or a patient.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 980 – ''Respon'' in the ''Passion'' of Clermont.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1100 – Of an echo, in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1155 – The form ''répondre'' in Wace.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1174–1176 – ''Respundre de'', to answer for.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1190 – Liturgical responses.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1530 – ''Je vous en réponds''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1690 – Of a horse responding to the aids.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|answer]], [[m|en|reply]]: ''répondre à une question'', ''répondre oui''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To answer back, retort.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # To answer a call: ''répondre au téléphone'', ''répondre présent''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Répondre à'': to meet, correspond to: ''répondre aux besoins''.^(TLFi)

+ # To react, respond: ''le moteur ne répond plus''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Répondre de'': to answer for, vouch for: ''je réponds de lui''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[réponse]]

+ * [[responsable]]

+ * [[épouser]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}