Which English spelling is used in the translation of 'révérence' in the material?

• A. reverance
• B. reverant
• C. reverence
• D. reverent

Answer: (B)

In English, the French noun révérence is most commonly translated as reverence, the word for a deep sense of respect or a respectful gesture. The noun form ends with -ence, not -ant or -ant-e endings, so reverence is the standard spelling for that sense. The adjective form is reverent (showing reverence), which is different in function from the noun. The spellings reverance and reverant appear in some contexts or as misspellings, but they are not the correct standard noun form. So when the material translates révérence as a noun, the correct spelling is reverence. For example: He bowed with reverence.