contrary English · revision 7109

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1340|origins=la contra}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈkɒntɹəɹi/, /kənˈtɹɛəɹi/ ''(UK)''; /ˈkɑntɹɛɹi/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English contrarie, [[bor|xno|contrarie]], Old French contrarie, contraire,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) and directly [[bor|la|contrarius|t=opposite, opposed; hostile]], from [[m|la|contra|t=against]] (see [[contra-]]).^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) The spelling contraire, from French, is found from 1370 into the late 1400s, but disappeared except in dialect by 1500.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Opposed in nature, extremely unlike: about 1340, in the ''Ayenbite of Inwyt''.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) The noun is from about 1275.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Mutually opposed is from 1413.^(OED 1989) Perverse, inclined to contradiction, and adverse or unfavourable, as a ''contrary wind'', are from the late 14th century.^(Etymonline) ''On the contrary'' dates from about 1400, first as ''in the contrary''.^(Etymonline) Hoad notes that the word was regularly stressed on the second syllable until the 18th century, and still is in the sense ''perverse, obstinate''.^(Hoad 1986)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1275 – the noun.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1340 – opposed in nature.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * late 14th century – perverse; unfavourable.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1400 – on the contrary.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Opposite in nature, direction or meaning.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(often stressed on the second syllable)'' Perversely inclined to disagree or do the opposite.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Of wind or weather, unfavourable.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The opposite: ''on the contrary''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(logic)'' A proposition so related to another that both cannot be true.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[contrarily]]

+ * [[contrariness]]

+ * [[contrarious]]

+ * [[contrarian]]

+ * [[contrariwise]]

+ * [[contrary to]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[subcontrary]]

+ * [[contra]]

+ * [[counter]]

+ * [[contrast]]

+ * [[contradict]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Etymonline explains the logical distinction: if the statement is ''All men are mortal'', its contrary is ''Not all men are mortal'', its converse ''All mortal beings are men'', and its opposite ''No men are mortal''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}