respond (English)

Where does "respond" come from?

The English verb 'respond' traces its lineage through Middle English 'respounden'[1] and Old French 'respondre'[1], which derived from Late Latin 'respondō'[1] and Latin 'respondeō'[1]. The Latin base combines the prefix 're-' with 'spondeō', meaning 'to promise'[3], which itself stems from the Proto-Indo-European root '*spend-', meaning 'to perform a rite, make an offering'[5].

Open questions

The transition from classical 'respondeo' to late 'respondo' involves a change in verb class that is attested in the Mulomedicina Chironis. [2]

Full etymology tree

respond (English), 'To say something in return; to answer; to reply.'
- inherited respounden (Middle English)
  - borrowed respondre (Old French), 'reply, respond'
    - inherited respondo (Latin), 'alternative form of respondeō (“reply”)'
      - derived respondeo (Latin), 'to meet or answer (a charge)'
        prefix re- (Latin), 'back, backwards'
        affix spondeo (Latin), 'to promise, bind or pledge oneself, contract, vow'
        inherited *spondeō (Proto-Italic), 'to promise, pledge'
        inherited *spondejō (Proto-Italic)
        inherited *spondéyeti (Proto-Indo-European)
        derived *spend- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to libate'

Ancestors

respondre (Old French)
respondo (Latin)
respondeo (Latin)

Cognates and doublets

répondre (French)

Descendants and derived words

autorespond (English)
counterrespond (English)
hyperrespond (English)
mechanorespond (English)
misrespond (English)
nonresponding (English)
overrespond (English)
respondee (English)
respondence (English)
responder (English)
responding variable (English)
responsive (English)

Related words

feedback (English)

Sources

Updated October 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris