Respondenties

Respondenties is a Dutch plural noun derived from respondentie, meaning a reply or piece of correspondence. It can refer to individual replies, such as letters or messages, as well as to the collection of such replies in a survey or study. In archival and library contexts, respondenties may also denote the letters exchanged between people or institutions, collectively described as correspondence.

The word originates from the verb responderen or the older form respondere, sharing the same root as the word responsible for response in related languages. The suffix -entie marks a noun describing an act or state related to responding.

Usage: In research settings, respondenties refers to the set of responses collected from participants. In archival catalogs, it may refer to the exchange of letters in a correspondence collection. The term is common in formal writing but less so in everyday speech.

Difference from related terms: antwoord refers to a single answer; reactie can be a reaction, not necessarily a direct reply; correspondentie emphasizes the ongoing exchange of letters and documents.

See also: correspondentie, antwoord, reactie.