Where does “RSVP” come from?
RSVP derives from the French initialism répondez s'il vous plaît, from French répondre and Old French respondre, ultimately from Latin respondēre meaning to answer or reply.
RSVP (English): A reply to an invitation; To reply to an...
Definitions
- A reply to an invitation; To reply to an...
Ancestry of “RSVP”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | RSVP | Please reply |
| 2 | French | répondez | second-person plural present indicative of... |
| 3 | French | répondre | To reply, to answer; To answer for |
| 4 | Middle French | respondre | to reply; to respond |
| 5 | Old French | respondre | to reply; to respond |
| 6 | Ido | respondo | answer |
| 7 | Latin | respondeō | to reply, answer, respond |
| 8 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 9 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 10 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 11 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 15 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |