reddere

Reddere is a Latin verb of the third conjugation, with the infinitive reddere. It primarily means to give back, return, or restore, and also to render, provide, or present something. The sense can extend to repay or yield, and in legal or rhetorical contexts it can mean to render a judgment, an account, or a form of acknowledgment.

Principal parts and forms: reddo, reddere, reddidi, redditum. The present active indicative forms are reddo, reddis, reddit, reddimus, redditis, reddunt; the imperfect is reddebam, reddebas, reddebat, reddebamus, reddebatis, reddebant; the future is reddam, reddes, reddet, reddemus, reddetis, reddent. The present passive is reddor, redderis, reddit, reddimur, reddimini, redduntur. The perfect active is reddidi, reddidisti, reddidit, reddidimus, reddidistis, reddiderunt, and the supine is redditum. These forms follow the regular pattern of 3rd-conjugation verbs, with stem redd-.

Usage and examples: reddere governs a direct object in the accusative and often a dative of the recipient, as in returning something to someone (librum reddidi = I returned the book). Idiomatic uses include reddere rationem (to render an account) and reddere iudicium (to render a judgment). The sense of giving back may extend to repayment, restitution, or presenting something in a particular form or manner.

Etymology and cognates: reddere is built from re- “back” plus dare “to give.” It is the ancestor of many Romance equivalents, such as rendere in Italian, rendir in Spanish, and rendre in French, which share the core sense of giving back or presenting something.