"C" Word Origins

contribution

Latin

From Old French contribution, from Latin contributio, from contribuere ("to bring together"); by formation, contribute plus -ion.

contributor

Latin

From Anglo-Norman contributour, ultimately from Latin contribuere; built from contribute plus -or.

contributory

Origin

From earlier contributary, from Middle English contributarie, from con- + tributarie after Middle French contributaire.

contrite

Latin

From Old French contrit, from Latin contritus ("ground to pieces"), the past participle of conterere ("to grind, bruise") — literally, someone "worn down" by guilt.

contrition

Latin

From Old French contriciun, from Latin contritio, related to contrite.

contrive

Origin

From Middle English contreve (“to invent”), from Old French controver (Modern French controuver), from trover (“to find”) (French trouver).

control

Medieval Latin

From Old French contrerole, from Medieval Latin contrarotulus ("a counter-roll used to check accounts"), from Latin contra ("against") plus rotulus ("a roll").

controller

Medieval Latin

From Anglo-Norman contreroulour, from Medieval Latin contrarotulator — a doublet of comptroller, and formed from control plus -er.

controversial

Latin

From Latin controversialis, from controversia ("controversy") plus -alis; built from controversy plus -al.

controversy

Latin

From Old French controversie, from Latin controversia ("debate, contention"), from controversus ("turned in an opposing direction").

controvert

Origin

Borrowed from Medieval Latin contrōvertere, from Latin contrō- (“against”) + vertere (“to turn”).

contumacious

Origin

From Latin contumāx (“stubborn, obstinate”) + -ious. By surface analysis, contum(ax) + -acious.

contumely

Origin

From Old French contumelie, from Latin contumēlia (“insult”), perhaps from com- + tumeō (“swell”).

contuse

Origin

From (the participle stem of) Latin contundere (“pound or beat small”), from com- + tundere (“beat, thump”).

contusion

Latin

Borrowed from Middle French contusion, from Latin contusio, from contundere ("to beat, to bruise"), from com- plus tundere ("to beat").

conundrum

Latin · 1500

Origin unknown; it appeared in the 1500s-1600s as a playful, mock-scholarly Latin-sounding coinage, in the same spirit as "hocus-pocus."

conurbation

Origin

From Latin con- (“together”) + urbs (“city”) + -ation. Coined by Scottish biologist, sociologist, and geographer Patrick Geddes in 1915.

convalesce

Origin

From Latin convalēscere, from con- (intensive prefix) + valēscere (“to become strong”), inchoative of valēre (“to be strong”).

convalescence

Origin

Borrowed from Middle French convalescence, from Late Latin convalēscentia (“regaining of health”), from Latin convalēscēn(t-)s, present participle of convalēscere (“to become strong or well”); see convalesce.

convalescent

Latin

From French convalescent, from Latin convalescens, the present participle of convalescere ("to grow strong again").

convection

Latin

From Latin convectio, from convehere "to carry together", from con- "together" and vehere "to carry".

convene

Latin

From Middle French convenir, from Latin convenire ("to come together"), from con- ("together") plus venire ("to come").

convenience

Latin

Borrowed from Latin convenientia, from conveniens ("suitable, fitting"), present participle of convenire ("to come together, suit"); a doublet of convenance.

convenient

Latin

From Latin conveniens, "fitting together" — the same root as "convene."

convent

Latin

From Latin conventus, "a coming together" — the same root as "convene."

conventicle

Origin

From Late Middle English conventicle, conventicule (“a gathering, meeting (especially a secret or unlawful one); (derogatory) a church”), from Latin conventiculum (“assembly; meeting (or the place involved); association”), from conventus (“assembled, convened”) + -culum (suffix forming noun diminutives), perfect passive participle of conveniō (“to assemble, convene, meet together”), from con- (“together, with”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm (“along, at, next to, with”)) + veniō (“to approach, come”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷem- (“to step”) + *-yéti (suffix forming intransitive, imperfective verbs)).

convention

Latin

From Latin conventio, "a coming together, an agreement," from convenire, "to come together."

conventional

Origin

From convention + -al.

converge

Latin

From Latin con- ("together") + vergere ("to bend, incline") — literally "to bend toward one another."

convergence

Origin

From converge + -ence (after Latin convergentia).

conversancy

Origin

From conversant + -cy or converse + -ancy or conversance + -y.

conversant

Origin

From Old French conversant, present participle of converser.

conversate

Origin

Back-formation from conversation.

conversation

Latin

From Latin conversatio, "the act of living with others, familiar intercourse" — related to converse.

conversational

Origin

From conversation + -al.

conversationist

Origin

From conversation + -ist.

converse

Latin

The verb is from Latin conversari, "to live among, keep company with." The adjective/noun sense comes from Latin conversus, "turned around."

conversion

Latin

From Latin conversio, "a turning around, a change," from convertere.

convert

Latin

From Old French convertir, from Latin convertere, "to turn around" — from con- + vertere ("to turn").

convertible

Old French

From Old French convertible, from Late Latin convertibilis (“interchangeable”), from Latin convertere (“to turn back, to turn over, to turn around, to turn upside down”), from con- (“with, together”) + vertere (“to turn”), + -ibilis (“-ible: able to”). Equivalent to convert + -ible.

convertite

Origin

Compare Italian convertito, past participle of convertire (“to convert”).

convex

Origin

Borrowed from Middle French convexe, from Latin convexus (“arched”).

convey

Vulgar Latin

From Old French conveier, from Vulgar Latin conviare, ultimately from Latin via, "way" — the same root as "convoy."

conveyance

Middle English

From Middle English conveiance, conveyaunce, equivalent to convey + -ance.

conveyancing

Origin

From conveyance + -ing.

conveyor

Origin

From convey + -or.

convict

Latin

From Latin convictus, past participle of convincere, "to prove wrong, to convict" — the same root as "convince."

conviction

Latin

From late Middle English conviction, from Anglo-Norman conviction, from Latin convictiō, from convictus, the past participle of convincō (“to convict”). Equivalent to convict + -ion.