contingo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [kɔnˈtɪŋ.ɡoː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [konˈtiŋ.ɡo]^[1]

Forms

contingō (present infinitive contingere, perfect active contigī, supine contāctum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from con- and tangō “to touch”, with the vowel weakened to ⟨i⟩.^[2][1][3] The sense “to colour, moisten” was apparently influenced by tingō “to dip, dye”.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of touching something.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to touch, come into contact with, as Virgil's rope touched with the hand, and to border on, as in Cato, also to be connected to a person by kinship or friendship, as in Horace.^[2][5] It meant to reach, arrive at, as in Cicero, to attain, and to touch on a subject in passing.^[2] It meant to touch so as to affect, to colour or sprinkle, as in Lucretius and Virgil, to infect with disease or moral taint, and to move or concern.^[2][3]

Intransitively it meant to fall to one's lot, happen, be granted, as in Ennius, and impersonally contingit “it happens”, as in Plautus.^[2] Döderlein says contingere is used mostly of fortunate events, while accidō covers unexpected ones.^[6]

English contingent comes from its participle contingēns in the late 14th century, English contact from contāctus in the 1620s, and English contagion from contāgiō.^[7]

Timeline

• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of what falls to one's lot.^[2][4]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of touching and impersonally.^[2][4]
• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of bordering on.^[2][4]
• late 14th century – English contingent is recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To touch, come into contact with.^[2]
2. To border on; to be related to.^[2]
3. To reach, arrive at; to attain.^[2]
4. To touch on (a subject).^[2]
5. To colour, sprinkle; to infect.^[2]
6. To affect, move; to concern.^[2]
7. (intransitive) To fall to one's lot, happen.^[2]

Word family

• contāctus
• contāgēs
• contāgiō
• contāgium
• contamen
• contiguus
• contingentia

Related words

• attingō
• contāminō
• obtingō
• pertingō
• tangō
• English contact
• English contingent

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com