respond

/ɹɪsˈpɒnd/rih-SPOND

/ɹɪsˈpɑnd/rih-SPAHND

Meaningto promise back

Common meaning: to answer

reagain; back
spondto pledge, promiseLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1745 · scan

‘again’ + ‘to pledge, promise’ → respond

Journey through time

Latinspondeō, spopondī, spōnsum‘to pledge, promise’
Old Frenchrespondresource
Englishrespond‘to answer’ · today

re- also in: react rebel relax repel reply

spond also in: sponsor response correspond responsive responsible

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin spondeō ‘to pledge, promise’.

Did you know (Latin respondere joins…): our wording, based on Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry RESPOND, p. 505 · dictionary scan

Did you know (Latin spondere, "to…): our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry spondeō, p. 1745 · dictionary scan

Roots

spondeō, spopondī, spōnsum Latin “to pledge, promise”

Related words

correspond response responsible responsive sponsor

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