Respond Comes From a Word Meaning to Pledge
To respond is to reply or react. Its Latin root means to promise in return, and it connects to spouse and sponsor.
To respond is to answer or react. The Latin *respondere* means to promise in return, from *spondere*, to pledge β a verb that also produced *sponsor*, someone who pledges support, and *spouse*, someone pledged to another. A response was once a solemn undertaking, not a reply.
- To reply. *He responded within the hour.*
- To react. *The patient responded to treatment.*
- Respondent β someone answering a survey or a legal claim. *Half of respondents agreed.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | respond | Respond in writing. |
| Past | responded | Responded quickly. |
| Noun | response | A written response. |
| Person | respondent | A survey respondent. |
| Adjective | responsive | A responsive design. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The tumour responded to the drug.Medicine: reacted favourably.
- Sixty per cent of respondents said yes.Survey.
- The site is responsive on mobile.Web design: adapts to the screen.
The pledging family
- Respond β pledge in return, hence answer
- Sponsor β one who pledges support
- Spouse β one pledged in marriage
- Responsible β able to answer for something
- Correspond β answer together, hence to match or to write
From Latin *respondere*, to answer or promise in return, from *re-* and *spondere*, to pledge. The Greek cousin *spondΔ* meant a drink offering poured to seal an agreement.
Are spouse and respond related?
Yes. Both descend from Latin *spondere*, to pledge. A spouse is a person pledged, and a response was originally a pledge in return.
Respondent or defendant?
Respondent is used in appeals, tribunals and family cases; defendant in ordinary civil and criminal proceedings.