respond (English)

Where does "respond" come from?

The English word 'respond' traces its roots back to the Latin 'respondeō,' a combination of 're-' and 'spondeō,' meaning 'to promise.' This root originates from the Proto-Indo-European *spend-, which referred to performing a rite or making an offering. Over time, the word evolved through Late Latin and Old French before entering Middle English, shifting from the specific sense of making a solemn pledge to the broader meaning of answering or reacting to a stimulus.

Full etymology tree

• respond (English), 'To say something in return; to answer; to reply.'
  • inherited respounden (Middle English)
    • inherited respondre (Old French), 'reply, respond'
      • inherited respondere (Latin), 'inflection of respondeō:'
        • derived respondēre (Latin), 'inflection of respondeō:'
          • compound re- (Latin), 'back, backwards'
          • compound spondeō (Latin), 'to promise, bind or pledge oneself, contract, vow'
            • inherited *spondeō (Proto-Italic), 'to promise, pledge'
              • inherited *spondejō (Proto-Italic)
                • derived *spondéyeti (Proto-Indo-European)
                  • derived *spend- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to libate'

Direct ancestors

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

Updated July 2026

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