contester

Forms

contester^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin contestor (“to call to witness; to open a lawsuit”), probably through Old Occitan contestar, found in the first sense from 1140.^[2][3][4][5] The Latin verb is formed from com- and testor (“to bear witness”), from testis (“witness”); in Roman law it meant to plead by producing the witnesses of both parties, hence to open a legal action.^[4][6][5]

Bloch and Wartburg think the verb lived on in the south, where Roman law survived, and that it may have entered French through the law schools of Montpellier.^[7] Old and Middle French also had Old French litiscontester (“to open a lawsuit”) (14th to early 17th century), from the Latin legal formula with līs (“lawsuit”).^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1338, in the Cartulaire de Flines, meaning to refuse to acknowledge someone's right or claim to something.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

By 1540 it was used without an object for “to argue, discuss”; in 1588 Montaigne used it transitively for “to call into doubt” a fact or statement.^[2][4]

After the events of May 1968 the absolute use came to mean “to challenge the established order”, first recorded in La Croix at the end of that year.^[2][4] The derivatives contestataire (June 1968) and contestateur spread at the same time, and contestation gained new life.^[4]

Timeline

• 1338 – First record, in the Cartulaire de Flines.^[2][7]
• 1387 – The noun contestation is recorded.^[7]
• 1540 – Used intransitively for “to argue”.^[2][4]
• 1584 – The noun conteste “dispute” appears.^[4]
• 1588 – Montaigne uses it for “to call into doubt”.^[2]
• 1611 – Contestable and incontestable are recorded.^[7][4]
• 1656 – Sans conteste “without question” is recorded.^[4]
• 1968 – The absolute sense “to challenge the established order” appears.^[2][4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To dispute someone's right or claim, to refuse to recognize it: contester un héritage.^[8][6][2]
2. To call into question or doubt: contester les chiffres d'un rapport.^[8][9]
3. (intransitive) To protest, to challenge the established order.^[2][8][4]

Word family

• contestable
• incontestable
• conteste
• contesté
• incontesté
• contestataire
• contestateur

Related words

• contestation
• Latin contestor
• Latin testis

Usage notes

The derived noun conteste survives only in sans conteste “unquestionably”.^[4][7]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
3. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 1105a
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)