erwiderte

Erwiderte is the simple past tense form of the German verb erwidern, meaning to reply, answer, or retort in response to something said.

Origin and usage: The verb derives from the prefix er- attached to widern, with roots in Old High German and related Germanic forms; erwiderte is the Präteritum (simple past) form used in narrative to indicate a completed reply. The term is primarily found in written texts and formal narration.

Usage notes: In contemporary speech, speakers more commonly use the present perfect hat erwidert or the present tense (erwidert) in everyday conversation. Erwiderte tends to appear more often in literature, historical writing, or formal reporting to convey a completed act of replying or retorting.

Example: Er erwiderte höflich, dass er anderer Meinung sei, und fuhr fort mit seiner Begründung.

See also: erwidern, erwiderung, widerspruch.

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