Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'respondent' holds a significant place in many cultures and languages, often referring to someone who is called upon to answer a claim or a charge. This term is commonly used in legal contexts, where a respondent is required to reply to a petition, complaint, or allegation made by another party.
Historically, the role of a respondent has been crucial in maintaining justice and ensuring fairness. In many legal systems, the right to respond to accusations is considered a fundamental human right, reflecting the importance of being heard and given an opportunity to present one's case.
Given the global prevalence of legal systems and cross-cultural interactions, understanding the translation of 'respondent' in different languages can be both fascinating and practical. For instance, in Spanish, a respondent is referred to as 'el demandado' or 'la demandada,' depending on the gender. In French, it's 'l'intimé' or 'l'intimée,' and in German, 'der Beklagte' or 'die Beklagte.'
Exploring the nuances of this term in various languages can shed light on cultural differences and similarities, as well as provide valuable insights for those working in international legal or diplomatic contexts.
Afrikaans | respondent | ||
The word 'respondent' can also refer to a person who answers a summons or a petition in court. | |||
Amharic | መልስ ሰጭ | ||
The word "መልስ ሰጭ" in Amharic can also mean "answerer" or "one who replies". | |||
Hausa | mai amsawa | ||
'Mai amsawa' can also mean 'married' or 'husband.' | |||
Igbo | zara | ||
The word "zara" in Igbo also means "to answer a question" or "to respond to a call". | |||
Malagasy | respondent | ||
In Malagasy, 'respondent' ('respondant') may also refer to a witness in a trial. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | woyankha | ||
The word "woyankha" can also mean "answer" or "response" in Nyanja. | |||
Shona | anopindura | ||
The word "anopindura" in Shona is derived from the root word "pindura", which means to answer or reply. | |||
Somali | jawaabe | ||
The word "jawaabe" has Arabic roots, coming from the root "jwb" meaning "answer" or "response". This suggests that the concept of a "respondent" or someone who answers questions or responds to requests has been borrowed from Arabic into Somali. | |||
Sesotho | moqosuwa | ||
The word "moqosuwa" in Sesotho also means "one who answers".} | |||
Swahili | mhojiwa | ||
The word "mhojiwa" in Swahili can also mean "defendant" or "accused" in a legal context. | |||
Xhosa | umphenduli | ||
The word "umphenduli" is literally translated to "one who answers" and is also used in the context of a "lawyer who pleads a case for a client". | |||
Yoruba | oludahun | ||
The name Oluwa-dun-hun, is a contraction of Oluwa a dun hun, which means "The Lord saves the needy or meek." | |||
Zulu | ophendulayo | ||
The noun 'ophendulayo' also means 'defendant' when used in a legal context. | |||
Bambara | jaabi dibaga | ||
Ewe | amesi wobia gbee | ||
Kinyarwanda | abajijwe | ||
Lingala | motunami | ||
Luganda | omuwawaabirwa | ||
Sepedi | mongangišwa | ||
Twi (Akan) | mmuaemafoɔ | ||
Arabic | المدعى عليه | ||
The Arabic word "المدعى عليه" (respondent) derives from the root "دعا" (to call), connoting that the respondent is the one 'called upon' in a legal dispute. | |||
Hebrew | מגיב | ||
מגיב is derived from the root 'ג.ב.ה' meaning 'to rise' or 'to stand up,' and can also mean 'participant' or 'agent' | |||
Pashto | ځواب ورکونکی | ||
"ځواب ورکونکی" also translates to "defendant", referring to someone who responds to charges in court. | |||
Arabic | المدعى عليه | ||
The Arabic word "المدعى عليه" (respondent) derives from the root "دعا" (to call), connoting that the respondent is the one 'called upon' in a legal dispute. |
Albanian | i anketuari | ||
The word "i anketuari" in Albanian is derived from the Latin word "inquiro" meaning "to inquire". | |||
Basque | inkestatua | ||
The Basque word "inkestatua" comes from the verb "inkestatu" which means "to investigate" or "to survey". | |||
Catalan | enquestat | ||
"Enquestat" in Catalan is derived from the Latin word *inquirere*, meaning "to inquire" or "to investigate." | |||
Croatian | ispitanik | ||
Ispitanik (respondent) is a borrowing from the German language, where "Respondent" means a person who gives an answer. | |||
Danish | respondent | ||
In Danish, a "respondent" could also mean "person being sued" | |||
Dutch | respondent | ||
In Dutch, "respondent" can also refer to someone who answers a question or someone who is questioned. | |||
English | respondent | ||
The word "respondent" comes from the Latin word "respondere," meaning "to answer. | |||
French | intimé | ||
The feminine form of the French word "intimé" is "intimée", which also means "confidante" or "close friend". | |||
Frisian | respondint | ||
In addition to `respondent`, `respondint` can mean `one who has to answer for a crime` | |||
Galician | entrevistado | ||
In Galician, the word "entrevistado" can also refer to a "person interviewed" or a "survey respondent". | |||
German | befragter | ||
The German word "Befragter" can also mean "interviewee" or "person being surveyed". | |||
Icelandic | svarandi | ||
The word 'svarandi' comes from Old Norse and means 'one who answers', but it can also be used to refer to the defendant in a legal case. | |||
Irish | freagróir | ||
Italian | rispondente | ||
The Italian word "rispondente" also has the meaning of "guarantor" or "surety", someone who takes on the obligation to pay a debt in case the primary debtor fails to do so. | |||
Luxembourgish | reagéiert | ||
The term "Räergéiert" is related to the German "Herr" (Mister, Sir, Master), "Räin" (Rain) and the French "répondre" (to respond). | |||
Maltese | intimat | ||
The word "intimat" in Maltese, meaning "respondent", is derived from the Latin "intimus", meaning "innermost" or "close". | |||
Norwegian | respondent | ||
Respondent i norsk har også betydningen 'tiltalte', noe som er avledet av det latinske ordet 'respondere' som betyr 'å svare'. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | respondente | ||
In Brazil, the term 'respondente' can also refer to a defendant in a criminal trial. | |||
Scots Gaelic | neach-freagairt | ||
The word "neach-freagairt" comes from the Gaelic "neach" (person) and "freagairt" (to answer) and can also mean "person who speaks for another". | |||
Spanish | demandado | ||
The word "demandado" can also mean "requested" or "claimed". | |||
Swedish | svarande | ||
The Swedish word 'svarande' not only means 'respondent', but can also refer to a defendant in a case. | |||
Welsh | ymatebydd | ||
"Ymatebydd" derives from Welsh "ymateb" ("respond") and the suffix "-ydd" (indicating the agent of an action), together meaning "one who responds." |
Belarusian | рэспандэнт | ||
Bosnian | ispitanik | ||
In addition to meaning 'respondent,' 'ispitanik' can also refer to a defendant or suspect. | |||
Bulgarian | респондент | ||
The word "respondent" in Bulgarian is derived from the Latin word "responsus" meaning "an answer"} | |||
Czech | odpůrce | ||
The word "odpůrce" also means "opponent" in Czech. | |||
Estonian | vastaja | ||
The Estonian word "vastaja" can also refer to an oppositionist or opponent. | |||
Finnish | vastaaja | ||
Vastaaja is an archaic Finnish term for plaintiff, still used occasionally in legal settings. | |||
Hungarian | válaszadó | ||
A válaszadó (respondent) szó válaszadást (answering) is jelent, ám utal a válaszorvosi rendszerre (emergency response system) vagy a válaszadó személyre (respondent) egy felmérésben is. | |||
Latvian | atbildētājs | ||
"Atbildētājs" (respondent) comes from the verb "atbildēt" (to answer), thus meaning "one who answers". | |||
Lithuanian | respondentas | ||
The word "respondentas" derives from the Latin "respondere" (to answer) and is a cognate of the English word "respondent". It can also refer to a defendant in a court case or a scholar who defends a thesis. | |||
Macedonian | испитаник | ||
The word "испитаник" comes from the root "испит" meaning "exam" and was originally used to refer to a student taking an exam. | |||
Polish | pozwany | ||
"Pozwany" can also mean "called upon" or "summoned". | |||
Romanian | respondent | ||
În limba română, cuvântul "respondent" poate avea atât sensul de "pârât" (în domeniul juridic), cât și sensul de "interlocutor" (în contextul unei conversații). | |||
Russian | ответчик | ||
The word "ответчик" can also refer to a person who is responsible for something or to a person who is being sued. | |||
Serbian | испитаник | ||
"Испитаник" is derived from the Serbian word "испит" (exam), and can also refer to an exam taker. | |||
Slovak | respondent | ||
V slovenčine môže "respondent" označovať aj osobu, ktorá odpovedá na otázky vo výskume. | |||
Slovenian | anketiranec | ||
The word 'anketiranec' (respondent) comes from the German word 'Anketer' (interviewer) and the Slovenian suffix '-anec', which denotes a person who is the object of an action. | |||
Ukrainian | респондент | ||
The Ukrainian word "респондент" has its origins in the Latin verb "respondere", meaning "to answer" and can also refer to someone who provides a response to a survey or questionnaire. |
Bengali | উত্তরদাতা | ||
The word 'উত্তরদাতা' can also be used to refer to someone who answers a bell or a knock at the door. | |||
Gujarati | પ્રતિસાદ આપનાર | ||
In Sanskrit, the word 'pratisad' refers to a reply or response, and the word 'aapanar' means one who offers something. Thus, 'pratisad aapanar' translates to someone who offers a reply, i.e., a 'respondent'. | |||
Hindi | प्रतिवादी | ||
The word "प्रतिवादी" (respondent) derives from the Sanskrit root "वद (vad)", meaning "to speak". | |||
Kannada | ಪ್ರತಿವಾದಿ | ||
ಪ್ರತಿವಾದಿ (respondent) refers to a deity who comes to the aid of the needy when invoked. | |||
Malayalam | പ്രതികരിക്കുന്നയാൾ | ||
In English, the word "respondent" can also mean someone who answers a question or request, or who reacts to something. | |||
Marathi | प्रतिवादी | ||
The Marathi word "प्रतिवादी" (pratiwadi) comes from the Sanskrit word "prativādin" which means "opponent" or "adversary". | |||
Nepali | उत्तरदाता | ||
The word उत्तरदाता, while it directly translates to "respondent" in English, can also mean "informant" or "someone who provides a reply or an answer" in certain contexts. | |||
Punjabi | ਜਵਾਬਦੇਹ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වගඋත්තරකරු | ||
වගඋත්තරකරු is an alternative term for a legal defendant or someone who must take responsibility for something. | |||
Tamil | பதிலளித்தவர் | ||
The word 'பதிலளித்தவர்' ('respondent') in Tamil can also refer to someone who answers a question or call, or who gives a reply. | |||
Telugu | ప్రతివాది | ||
Urdu | جواب دہندہ | ||
In 19th century Urdu, "جواب دہندہ" was also used to refer to someone responsible for collecting taxes and revenue. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 被访者 | ||
The Chinese word "被访者" ("respondent") originally referred to someone who had been interviewed by a government official. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 被訪者 | ||
The term "被訪者" can also refer to an interviewee or a research subject. | |||
Japanese | 被告 | ||
The word "被告" can also mean "the accused" or "the defendant". | |||
Korean | 응답자 | ||
"응답자" is the Korean translation of the English word "respondent". | |||
Mongolian | хариуцагч | ||
The etymology of 'хариуцагч' can be traced back to the verb 'хариулах', which means 'to answer' or 'to respond'. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | တုံ့ပြန်သူ | ||
The term is originally derived from the Middle English word 'respons', meaning 'reply', which stems from the Old English word 'rand' and the Old Norse word 'ran'. |
Indonesian | responden | ||
The Indonesian word "responden" can also refer to a type of dance, a person who has been interviewed for a survey, or a person who is responsible for something. | |||
Javanese | responden | ||
Javanese word "responden" has a more general meaning than "respondent" which is "anything that answers". | |||
Khmer | ឆ្លើយតប | ||
The word "ឆ្លើយតប" can also mean "to answer" or "to reply" in Khmer. | |||
Lao | ຜູ້ຕອບ | ||
The Lao word "ຜູ້ຕອບ" is derived from the Thai word "ผู้ตอบ" and carries the same meaning of "a person who responds". | |||
Malay | responden | ||
The Malay word 'responden' is derived from the Dutch word 'respondent' and also means 'interviewee' or 'informant' in Malay. | |||
Thai | ผู้ตอบ | ||
In Thai, "ผู้ตอบ" can also refer to a contestant or competitor in a game or contest. | |||
Vietnamese | người trả lời | ||
"Người trả lời" also means a person who answers (a question, request, or challenge). | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | sumasagot | ||
Azerbaijani | cavabdeh | ||
The Azerbaijani word "cavabdeh" is derived from Persian and Arabic words, meaning both "respondent" and "culprit" in Azerbaijani. | |||
Kazakh | жауап беруші | ||
In Kazakh, "жауап беруші" can also refer to a "defender" or "answerer" in a legal context. | |||
Kyrgyz | респондент | ||
The word "респондент" can also mean "interviewee" or "informant" in Kyrgyz. | |||
Tajik | мусоҳиб | ||
The word "мусоҳиб" in Tajik can also refer to a companion or friend. | |||
Turkmen | jogap beriji | ||
Uzbek | javob beruvchi | ||
The word «javob beruvchi» can also refer to a person who has to answer for something. | |||
Uyghur | جاۋاپكار | ||
Hawaiian | mea pane ʻē aʻe | ||
The word "mea pane ʻē aʻe" can also mean "witness" or "informant". | |||
Maori | kaiwhakautu | ||
The word 'kaiwhakautu' also refers to the 'defendent' or 'accused'. | |||
Samoan | tali mai | ||
The term "tali mai" (literally "to answer") is also used to refer to a person who responds to a chief's call. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | tumutugon | ||
Tumutugon can also refer to a representative, spokesperson, or someone who reacts to or responds to a situation, question, or need. |
Aymara | jiskt’asir jaqi | ||
Guarani | oñeporandúva | ||
Esperanto | respondanto | ||
"Respondanto" is a calque from the English "respondent" but also means "answer" in Esperanto, as well as the "answering device" on a telephone. | |||
Latin | conventae notificari, | ||
The phrase "conventae notificari" in Latin also translates as "notified defendant" or "warned summoned defendant". |
Greek | αποκρινόμενος | ||
"Apokrinomai" (αποκρίνομαι) comes from the Greek words "apo" (από) meaning "from" and "krinomai" (κρίνομαι) meaning "to decide" or "to judge". | |||
Hmong | teb | ||
The name teb originated from teb yig, which means "book of response" and was used to refer to lawsuits in which the two parties submitted written responses to the officials who judged the case. | |||
Kurdish | bersivdêr | ||
The word "bersivdêr" is derived from the Persian word "پاسخگو" (pasokhgoo), meaning "one who answers". It can also be used to refer to a person who is responsible for something. | |||
Turkish | muhatap | ||
The word "muhatap" is derived from the Arabic word "muhatab," meaning "conversationalist" or "speaker." | |||
Xhosa | umphenduli | ||
The word "umphenduli" is literally translated to "one who answers" and is also used in the context of a "lawyer who pleads a case for a client". | |||
Yiddish | ענטפערער | ||
The Yiddish word "ענטפערער" can also refer to a person who answers questions in a public forum or to a person who is liable for something. | |||
Zulu | ophendulayo | ||
The noun 'ophendulayo' also means 'defendant' when used in a legal context. | |||
Assamese | উত্তৰদাতা | ||
Aymara | jiskt’asir jaqi | ||
Bhojpuri | प्रतिवादी के बा | ||
Dhivehi | ޖަވާބުދާރީވި ފަރާތެވެ | ||
Dogri | प्रतिवादी ने दी | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | sumasagot | ||
Guarani | oñeporandúva | ||
Ilocano | respondent nga | ||
Krio | di pɔsin we ansa | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | وەڵامدەرەوە | ||
Maithili | प्रतिवादी | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯔꯦꯁ꯭ꯄꯣꯟꯗꯦꯟꯇ ꯑꯣꯏꯅꯥ ꯄꯤꯈꯤ꯫ | ||
Mizo | respondent a ni | ||
Oromo | deebii kenna | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଉତ୍ତରଦାତା | ||
Quechua | tapusqa | ||
Sanskrit | प्रतिवादी | ||
Tatar | респондент | ||
Tigrinya | መልሲ ዝሃበ | ||
Tsonga | muhlamuri | ||