Quelles notions sémantiques sous-tendent « re » + « partir » avec « riposter aussitôt à un propos » ? repartee (n.)
1640s, "quick remark," from French repartie "an answering blow or thrust" (originally a fencing term), noun use of fem. past participle of Old French repartir "to reply promptly, start out again,"
from re- "back" (see re- + partir "to divide, separate, set out,"
from Latin partiri "to share, part, distribute, divide,"
from pars "a part, piece, a share" (from PIE root *pere- (2) "to grant, allot").
In 17c. often spelled reparty (see -ee). Meaning "a series of sharp rejoinders exchanged" is from 1680s.