Etymology: Probably partly < Anglo-Norman respunt (also respon , respun ) and Middle French respond (compare also Old French responde ), variants of respons, respuns response n., and partly (in later use) < respond v. Compare earlier response n., and also respoun n.With sense 2 compare slightly earlier respoun n. 3 and discussion at that entry.

Etymology: < Middle French respondre (French répondre , †respondre ; in Anglo-Norman also respundre , responder , respounder , respoundre , responer ) to reply, to say (something) in response (10th cent. in Old French), to resound (12th cent.), to oppose (something to something else) as contrast or defence (12th cent.), to explain, justify (12th cent.), to guarantee, promise, stand surety (12th cent.), to say or sing a liturgical response (12th cent.), to say or sing (a liturgical response) (13th cent.), to correspond to, be in conformity with (late 12th or early 13th cent.) and its etymon classical Latin respondēre to speak in answer to a question, to answer in writing, reply, to give a formal or official reply, to answer a charge, speak in defence, to reply to an argument, to answer a summons to appear, present oneself, to make a return, give a yield, to react, to be suitable or satisfactory, to reward the efforts (of), to be consistent (with), conform (to), to show oneself worthy (of), to correspond, be a match, in post-classical Latin also to make a response, to sing in a responsorial manner (from 13th cent. in British sources) < re- re- prefix + spondēre spond v. Compare Old Occitan respondre (c1200), Catalan respondre (12th cent.), Spanish responder (12th cent.), Portuguese responder (12th cent.), Italian rispondere , †respondere (late 13th cent.). Compare earlier respound v., which shows earlier borrowing of the same word from Anglo-Norman and Old French.