Etymograph

English

respond

Respond comes from Old French respondre, from Latin respondeō ‘to reply’, from spondeō ‘to promise’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *spend- ‘to libate’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*spend-‘to libate’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*spondéyetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*spondeō‘to promise’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspondeō‘promise’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErespondeō‘to reply’
  6. Late Latinc. 200–600 CErespondō
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400respondre
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500respounden
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1600respond

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*spend-‘to libate’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*spondéyetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*spondeō‘to promise’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspondeō‘promise’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErespondeō‘to reply’
  6. Late Latinc. 200–600 CErespondō
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400respondre
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500respounden
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1600respond

Earliest quotation: 1600, Torquato Tasso, (please specify |book=1 to 20): “For his great deeds respond his speeches great.”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *spend- ‘to libate’

espouse, 12 more

through Latin spondeō ‘promise’

spouse, sponsor, despondent, 10 more

through Late Latin respondō

riposte, 1 more

Today it means

verb To say something in return; to answer; to reply.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *spend- / respond

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