Where does “response” come from?
Response comes from Middle English respounse, from Old French respons, from Latin responsus, the past participle of respondeo, meaning to answer or reply, formed from the prefix re- and the root wer-.
response (English): An answer or reply, or something in the nature of...
Definitions
- An answer or reply, or something in the nature of...
Ancestry of “response”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | respounse | — |
| 2 | Old French | respons | — |
| 3 | Latin | respōnsus | replied |
| 4 | Latin | respondeō | to reply, answer, respond |
| 5 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 6 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 7 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |