reply

Where does the word "reply" come from? It comes from Latin replicare, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

Reply’s story begins in Latin: replicare meant “to fold back.” To fold back, from re- (back) and plicare (to fold). It reached English by 1300s as reply. Settled as the English word for answering something said or written. Today, reply means to give an answer to something said, written, or done.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient replicare "to fold back", to fold back, from re- (back) and plicare (to fold).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1300s reply "to answer something said, written, or done", settled as the English word for answering something said or written.