respire

The story

1. Latin · derived fromrespīrō“to blow back, breathe out”
2. Old French · derived fromrespirer
3. Middle English · inherited fromrespiren
4. English todayrespire

From Middle English respiren, borrowed from Old French respirer or Latin respīrō (“to blow back, breathe out”), from re- (“back”) + spīrō (“to breathe, blow”).