contentiosus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [kɔn.tɛn.tiˈoː.sʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [kon.ten.t͡siˈɔː.s̬us]^[1]

Forms

contentiōsus (feminine contentiōsa, neuter contentiōsum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin contentiō (“struggle, dispute”) + -ōsus, from contendō “to strain, contend”, from con- and tendō “to stretch”.^[2][1][3] De Vaan traces ⟨tendō⟩ to Proto-Italic *tend-, Proto-Indo-European *ten-d(ʰ)- (“to stretch”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Gaffiot cites Pliny the Younger, and Köbler's earliest source is Suetonius.^[5][6] Köbler dates Suetonius c. 75–c. 150 AD.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant argumentative, quarrelsome, contentious, as in Pliny, of a debate full of struggle; and in Apuleius persistent, obstinate.^[2][5]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means contentious, rebellious.^[7] Medieval Latin used it for one refusing his duty, and iūrisdictiō contentiōsa was jurisdiction in civil disputes.^[8][6] English contentious (early 15th century) is from it.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius uses it.^[6]
• c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius uses it of obstinacy.^[2][6]
• early 15th century – English contentious is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Persistent, obstinate.^[2]
2. Argumentative, quarrelsome, contentious.^[2][9]
3. (Medieval Latin, law) Of contested cases.^[8]

Related words

• contentiō
• contendō
• tendō
• English contentious

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
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. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press