English
respite
Respite comes from Old French respit ‘rest’, and goes back to Latin respectus.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErespectus
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400respit‘rest’
- Englishearliest quotation 1485respite
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history not traced here.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErespectus
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400respit‘rest’
- Englishearliest quotation 1485respite
Earliest quotation: 1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur Book XX: “Thenne spake sir gawayn and sayd my lord Arthur…”
Linked words
through Latin respectus
Today it means
noun A brief interval of rest or relief.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin respectus / respite