Etymology and origin of the Latin word contrasto
From the same root
Forms
contrāstō (present infinitive contrāstāre, perfect active contrāstāvī); first conjugation, no passive, no supine stem[1] The MLW gives the perfect as ⟨contrasteti⟩.[2] Medieval texts also have ⟨contristō⟩, apparently by confusion, and a deponent ⟨contristārī⟩.[2]
Etymology
It is from Latin contrā (“against”) + stō (“to stand”).[1][3] The TLL files it under the adverb, which is joined with this verb already in Virgil and Seneca.[4]
Earliest recorded meaning
Gaffiot's only source is the Latin translation of Irenaeus,[5] where all the other principalities are said to have stood and acted against that god.[4]
Semantic evolution
In Medieval Latin it meant to stand against, resist or oppose.[2][3][6] The annals of Prudentius of Troyes report that wolves marching in a column along the road fought back boldly against those who tried to resist them,[2] and Benzo says that the law makes it a capital crime to oppose the chancellor's authority.[2] It could also mean to face or stand opposite, to attack, to contradict or to refuse;[2] in legal texts it was used of disturbing a church in its possessions, and in the Pactus of the Alamanni of accusing a woman.[2] Hungarian and Polish records use it of resisting enemies, soldiers or a newly elected brother.[3][6]
The verb lives on in Italian contrastare, Spanish and Portuguese contrastar and Old French contrester.[1] English contrast came in the 1690s from French contraster, influenced by the Italian verb, as a term of the fine arts;[7] Middle English already had contrest, “to withstand”.[7]
Timeline
- 4th century AD? – The Latin Irenaeus has the principalities stand against that god.[4][5][8]
- second third of the 9th century – The annals of Prudentius of Troyes use it of wolves fighting back.[2][8]
- 1086–1090 – Benzo uses it of opposing the chancellor's authority.[2][8]
- 1409 – A Polish record uses it of resisting enemies.[6]
- 1437/1441 – A Croatian charter of the Frangepán family uses it of opposing an elected brother.[3]
- 1690s – English contrast is recorded, from French.[7]
Meanings
Verb
- (Late Latin, Medieval Latin, intransitive) To stand against, oppose, resist.[1][5][2][3][6]
- (Medieval Latin) To stand opposite, face.[2]
- (Medieval Latin) To attack, set upon.[2]
- (Medieval Latin) To contradict; to refuse, deny.[2]
- (Medieval Latin, law) To disturb (someone in a possession); to come forward as accuser against.[2]
Related words
References
- ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
- ^ a b c d e Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
- ^ a b c Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
- ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
- ^ a b c d Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
- ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Cite this entry
“Contrasto.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/contrasto. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.
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