entry
response
/rɪˈspɒns/An answer or reply
From Latin re (back) + Latin spondere (to pledge) + Latin / Greek spondeo (metrical foot).
from Old French respons (Modern French réponse ) and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Old French respons (Modern French réponse ) and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Middle English respounse, respons
from Old French respons (Modern French réponse ) and directly
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from Old French respons (Modern French réponse ) and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Old French respons (Modern French réponse ) and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Middle English respounse, respons
from Old French respons (Modern French réponse ) and directly
+1 more sourceAt its core, response is a little legal handshake in Latin: re- plus spondēre, basically “promise back.” Romans used spondēre for solemn pledges, the kind made with witnesses, not casual chatter, so when respondēre arrived, it felt like a pledge returned to sender. English picked it up through Old French respons in the Middle Ages, and by the time psychology got hold of it, the word was being paired with stimulus in the famous 1921 laboratory slogan “Stimulus-Response.” That pairing is a neat trick of history: a word once tied to vows and answers in court and church ends up describing nerves, reflexes, and lab rats. Tomorrow, when you say “response,” remember you’re hearing an old Roman promise bounced right back at you.
The Story
At its core, response is a little legal handshake in Latin: re- plus spondēre, basically “promise back.” Romans used spondēre for solemn pledges, the kind made with witnesses, not casual chatter, so when respondēre arrived, it felt like a pledge returned to sender. English picked it up through Old French respons in the Middle Ages, and by the time psychology got hold of it, the word was being paired with stimulus in the famous 1921 laboratory slogan “Stimulus-Response.” That pairing is a neat trick of history: a word once tied to vows and answers in court and church ends up describing nerves, reflexes, and lab rats. Tomorrow, when you say “response,” remember you’re hearing an old Roman promise bounced right back at you.
Kin & Kindred
From 're'·back, again; in the matter of
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'spondere'·to pledge, promise
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'spondeo'·metrical foot; related classical form
Derived Terms
English words from this root