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"answer" in seven languages

Meaninganswer

Spanish

respuesta

/resˈpwesta/

fem.inherited

French

réponse

/ʁepɔ̃s/

fem.inherited

Italian

risposta

/risˈposta/

fem.inherited

Portuguese

resposta

/hesˈpɔstɐ/

fem.inherited

Romanian

răspuns

/rəsˈpuns/

neut.inherited

Catalan

resposta

/rəsˈpɔstə/

fem.inherited

English

answer

/ˈænsɚ/

native English · Old English andswaru

English → ItaliananswerrispostaNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: response, respond, responsible; sponsor, spouse.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

RESPONDĒRE‘to answer; lit. to pledge in return (participle *RESPOSTA / RESPŌNSA)’

All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.

The story

To respond was to make a solemn pledge back (SPONDĒRE 'to pledge' — a spouse is someone pledged). Spanish splits the stressed o into ue: respuesta.

English relatives: response, respond, responsible; sponsor, spouse

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In a sentence

  • esLa respuesta es incorrecta.
  • frLa réponse est fausse.
  • itLa risposta è sbagliata.
  • ptA resposta está errada.
  • roRăspunsul e greșit.
  • caLa resposta és incorrecta.
  • enThe answer is wrong.

More words from the same Latin

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