contre

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kɔ̃tʁ/^[1]

Forms

contre^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French contre, inherited from Latin contrā (“opposite, facing; against”).^{[2][3][4][5][1]} It is first written in its Latin form “contra” (842), then “cuntre” (1080) and “contre” (about 1170).^[3][6] The Latin word has a suffix marking contrast, also seen in extrā.^[3]

Bloch and Wartburg note that the classical sense “facing” lived on in French until the 17th century and gave the derivative contrée.^[4] From the Vulgate onward “contra” competed with the compound incontrā, whence encontre.^[4] Cognate with Romanian către, Italian contro, Occitan contra, Spanish contra and Portuguese contra.^[7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Serments de Strasbourg (842) have the Latin form: in nulla aiudha contra Lodhuwig “in no help against Louis”, marking hostility.^[2][8]

Semantic evolution

By 1080 the word had the three values it still has: contact (cuntre tere “against the ground”), proportion (Cuntre un des noz en truverat morz quinze “for one of ours he will find fifteen dead”) and opposition.^[3][2] Its defensive sense, “to protect against”, dates from 1160–74, and “in exchange for” from 1323.^[2][3]

The idea of a contrary direction gave contre le vent (about 1174), contre vent et marée (1606), contre nature and contre toute espérance (1560).^[2][3] Par contre “on the other hand” goes back to Calvin; purists condemned it, but André Gide defended it.^[3] As a noun it is used in le pour et le contre.^[3] In Swiss and Lyon French it can mean “towards”, and in Belgium mettre la porte contre is to leave a door pushed to.^[3]

Timeline

• 842 – Contra in the Serments de Strasbourg.^[2]
• c. 1100 – Cuntre paiens and cuntre tere in the Chanson de Roland.^[2]
• c. 1170 – The form contre in Chrétien de Troyes.^[3][2]
• c. 1174 – Cuntre le vent.^[2]
• 1323 – The sense “in exchange for”.^[2]
• 16th century – Par contre in Calvin.^[3]
• 1606 – Contre vent et marée.^[2]

Meanings

Preposition

1. Against, touching: contre le mur, serrer contre son cœur.^[9][10]
2. Against, in opposition to: lutter contre la fraude, nager contre le courant.^[10][9]
3. For protection against: un sirop contre la toux.^[10]
4. In exchange for: échanger un livre contre un disque.^[10][1]
5. As against, compared with: dix voix contre trois.^[10][1]

Adverb

1. Against: voter contre, tout contre, very close.^[10]
2. Par contre: on the other hand.^[10][3]

Noun

1. Le pour et le contre: the pros and cons.^[1]
2. (bridge) A double.^[1]

Word family

• contrer

Related words

• encontre
• rencontrer
• contrée
• contraire

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g 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. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 1111a
6. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b c d e f g Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)