incontra

Forms

incontrā (not comparable)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin in + contrā (“against, opposite”), a Late Latin compound.^[1][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears in the Itala, the Old Latin Bible (after 220 AD), as an adverb “on the opposite side” and as a preposition with the accusative, “towards”.^[3][2][1]

Semantic evolution

Georges records it as a preposition “opposite” in the Antonine Itinerary.^[4] In the formulae and charters of the Frankish kingdoms it was common: as an adverb “in return, in exchange; on the other hand”, and as a preposition “against, in disregard of”, “in the presence of”, “in exchange for” and “in favour of”, with the phrase incontrā īre “to act against”.^[5][2] Du Cange cites a Roman epitaph that places a burial “near the column”, and Anastasius' Historia ecclesiastica, which uses it for ἀντικρύ (antikrú).^[6]

It lives on in Italian incontro and French encontre.^[3][6]

Timeline

• after 220 AD – The Itala uses it as an adverb and a preposition.^[3][2]
• 713 – A Weissenburg charter uses it for acting against a sale.^[5]
• third quarter of the 8th century – It appears in the Lex Salica.^[2]

Meanings

Adverb

1. On the opposite side.^[3]
2. (Medieval Latin) In return, in exchange; on the other hand.^[5][2]

Preposition

1. (Late Latin, + accusative) Towards; opposite, facing.^[1][3][4][6]
2. (Medieval Latin) Against, in disregard of.^[5][2]
3. (Medieval Latin) In the presence of; in exchange for; in favour of.^[5][2]

Related words

• contrā
• Italian incontro

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ a b c d e f Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
5. ^ a b c d e Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
6. ^ a b c du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre