contraho

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈkɔn.tra.(ɦ)oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkɔn.tra.o]^[1]

Forms

contrahō (present infinitive contrahere, perfect active contrāxī, supine contractum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from con- (“together”) and trahō “to draw”.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus and Cato, of frowning, engaging in battle and drawing in.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to draw together, contract the body, as in Cato, with frontem contrahere “to frown”, as in Plautus, to constipate, to make flinch, and vēla contrahere “to take in sail”, as in Livy.^[2] It meant to reduce, narrow, shorten a syllable, restrict, and to depress the mind, as in Cicero.^[2] It meant to bring together, assemble, as Caesar's gathering of cohorts, to amass, and to collect instances.^[2][5] It meant to unite in friendship, to enter into a formal relationship, especially a contract, as in Cicero and Gaius, to engage in battle, as in Plautus, to bring about something harmful, and to incur, catch an illness.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to contract, commit, collect, draw in.^[6] It survives in Italian contrarre and Spanish contraer.^[1] English contract came in the late 14th century, first meaning “to shrink”, and in the early 15th century “to make an agreement”, from its participle contractus.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of frowning and of battle.^[2][4]
• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of drawing in the body.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of friendships and contracts.^[2][4]
• late 14th century – English contract is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To draw together, contract, frontem contrahere, to frown.^[2]
2. To reduce, narrow; to restrict.^[2]
3. To depress (the mind).^[2]
4. To assemble, collect.^[2]
5. To unite (in friendship); to enter into (a contract).^[2]
6. To engage in (battle).^[2]
7. To bring about; to incur, catch (an illness).^[2]

Word family

• contractiō
• contractor
• contractura
• contractus
• contractē
• contractōrium

Related words

• abstrahō
• attrahō
• circumtrahō
• dētrahō
• distrahō
• extrahō
• intertrahō
• intrahō
• obtrahō
• pertrahō
• trahō
• English contract

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 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. ^ 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. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson