late Middle English: from Old French rendre, from an alteration of Latin reddere ‘give back’, from re- ‘back’ + dare ‘give’. The earliest senses were ‘recite’, ‘translate’, and ‘give back’ (hence ‘represent’ and ‘perform’); ‘hand over’ (hence ‘give help’ and ‘submit for consideration’); ‘cause to be’; and ‘melt down’