contentio

Forms

contentiō f (genitive contentiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from contendō “to strain; to contend” with the suffix -tiō; ⟨contendō⟩ is from con- and tendō “to stretch”.^[2][1][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Cicero, whom he dates 81–43 BC, and the OLD's first citations are from Cicero.^[5][2]

Semantic evolution

It was a stretching, tension, as in Vitruvius; the straining of body or mind, exertion, effort, as in Cicero; competition, rivalry; a conflict, dispute, quarrel; and the setting of things side by side to contrast them, comparison, as in Cicero.^[2][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it was obstinacy, contention, strife, wrangling.^[7] Medieval Latin used it for a dispute and a lawsuit.^[8] British Medieval Latin used it also for antithesis in rhetoric.^[9] English contention (late 14th century, “strife”) came through Old French and directly from Latin.^[4]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of effort, rivalry and dispute.^[2][5]
• c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius uses it of tension.^[2][5]
• late 14th century – English contention is recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A stretching, tension.^[2]
2. Exertion, effort.^[2]
3. Competition, rivalry.^[2]
4. A dispute, quarrel, contention.^[2]
5. A comparison, contrast, (rhetoric) antithesis.^[2][9]
6. (Medieval Latin) A lawsuit.^[8]

Word family

• contentiōsus

Related words

• contendō
• tendō
• English contention

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
9. ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press