"C" Word Origins

contingence

Origin

Borrowed from Latin contingentia (whence con- + and -ence), from contingēns, present passive participle of contingō (“to make contact with, to be touching”).

contingency

Latin

From contingent + the noun-forming suffix -y, tracing back to Latin contingere ("to happen, to touch upon").

contingent

Medieval Latin

From Old French contingent, from Medieval Latin contingens, "possible," the present participle of contingere ("to touch, to happen") — com- ("together") + tangere ("to touch").

continual

Latin

From Old French continuel, from Latin continuus ("continuous") plus the suffix -el.

continuance

Old French

From Old French continuance, from continuer ("to continue").

continuate

Origin

Inherited from Middle English continuaten, from continuat(e) (“continuous”, also used as the past participle of continuaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from Latin continuātus, perfect passive participle of continuō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Doublet of continue.

continuation

Latin

From Old French continuation, from Latin continuatio, built from continue + -ation.

continue

Latin

From Old French continuer, from Latin continuare, "to make continuous, to join together."

continuedly

Origin

From continued + -ly.

continuity

Latin

From Middle French continuité, from Latin continuitas, built from continue + -ity.

continuous

Latin

From Latin continuus ("connected, unbroken"), from continere, "to hold together." It pushed out the old native English word singal for the same idea.

continuously

Origin

Formed from continuous plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

continuum

Latin

Borrowed from Latin continuum, the neuter form of continuus, from continere ("to hold together, contain").

contort

Origin

Equivalent to con- + -tort; from Middle English, borrowed from Latin contortus, past participle of contorqueō, from com- + torqueō (“twist, turn”).

contortionist

Latin

Built from contortion (from Latin contortus, "twisted together") plus the agent suffix -ist.

contour

French

Borrowed from French contour, from contourner, built from con- plus tour ("turn").

contra

Latin

From Latin contrā, meaning "against."

contraband

French

From Spanish contrabanda, from Italian contrabando, built from contra ("against") and bando ("ban"), reinforced later by French contrebande.

contrabander

Origin

From contraband + -er.

contraceptive

Origin · 1900

Coined in the 1900s from contra- ("against") plus conceptive, echoing contraception.

contract

Latin

From Old French contract, from Latin contractus, the noun from contrahere ("to draw together, to conclude a bargain") — from con- ("together") plus trahere ("to draw, pull").

contractable

Origin

From contract + -able.

contractant

Origin

Borrowed from French contractant (“contracting”), the present participle of contracter (“to contract”). First attested in 1721. By surface analysis, contract + -ant.

contractee

Origin

From contract + -ee.

contractile

Origin

From French contractile.

contraction

Latin

From Old French contraction, from Latin contractio, itself from contrahere ("to draw together"), the same root behind "contract."

contractive

Origin

From contract + -ive.

contractor

Late Latin · 1500

Borrowed from Late Latin contractor, from Latin contractus plus the agent suffix -tor; first recorded in the 16th century.

contractual

Latin

Built from contract plus the adjective suffix -ual, ultimately from Latin contractus.

contradict

Latin

From Latin contradictus, past participle of contradicere, literally "to speak against."

contradictable

Origin

From contradict + -able.

contradiction

Latin

From Old French contradiction, from Latin contradictio, from contradicere ("to speak against").

contradictory

Late Latin

Borrowed from Late Latin contradictorius, from Latin contradico; built from contradict plus -ory.

contralto

Origin

Contraction of contratenor alto, from Latin contratenor altus.

contranatural

Origin

From contra- + natural. Compare counternatural.

contraplex

Origin

From contra- + -plex.

contraption

Origin · 1800

Origin uncertain — possibly a 19th-century US dialect word, perhaps blending contrive, trap, and construction.

contrariant

Origin

Inherited from Middle English contrariaunt, from Old French contrariant, from Late Latin contrāriāns, present participle of contrāriō.

contrariety

Origin

Borrowed from Middle French contrariété, from Late Latin contrarietas, from contrarius, from Latin contra (“against”). By surface analysis, contrary + -ety.

contrarious

Origin

From contrary + -ous, from Middle English contrarious, from Old French contrarious, from Late Latin contrāriōsus.

contrariwise

Origin

From Middle English contrary-wyse; equivalent to contrary + -wise.

contrary

Latin

From Old French contraire, from Latin contrarius ("opposite, opposed"), from contra ("against").

contrast

Latin

From French contraster, from Latin contrastare ("to stand against"), from contra ("against") plus stare ("to stand").

contrasted

Origin

From contrast + -ed.

contrasting

French

From French contraster, in turn from Italian contrastare 'to stand against, to oppose', built on Latin contra 'against' and stare 'to stand'.

contravene

Origin

From Middle French contravenir (French contrevenir), from Latin contraveniō.

contravention

Origin

From Middle French contravention.

contribute

Latin

From Latin contributus, past participle of contribuere ("to bring together, unite"), from con- ("together") plus tribuere ("to bestow, allot").