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Origin and history of contend

contend(v.)

mid-15c., "engage in rivalry, compete," from Old French contendre and directly from Latin contendere "to stretch out; to shoot, hurl, throw; strive after mentally; measure or try one's strength with, fight, vie with," from assimilated form of com-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see com-), + tendere "to stretch" (from PIE root *ten- "to stretch"). From 1540s as "to assert, affirm, maintain." Related: Contended; contending.

also from mid-15c.

Entries linking to contend

contender(n.)

"a combatant; a disputer; one who contends," 1540s, agent noun from contend.

contention(n.)

late 14c., contencioun, "strife, dissension, quarreling," from Old French contencion and directly from Latin contentionem (nominative contentio) "a vigorous struggling, a contest, a fight," noun of action from past-participle stem of contendere (see contend). Meaning "a violent effort to obtain something" is from 1570s; meaning "that which is contended for" is from 1630s.

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postulate
1530s, "nominate to a church office," from Medieval Latin postulatus, past participle of postulare "to ask, demand; claim; require," probably formed from past participle of Latin poscere "ask urgently, demand," from *posk-to-, Italic inchoative of PIE root *prek- "to ask question
argue
c. 1300, "to make reasoned statements to prove or refute a proposition," from Old French arguer "maintain an opinion or view; harry, reproach, accuse, blame" (12c.), ultimately from Latin arguere "make clear, make known, prove, declare, demonstrate" (from  a suffixed form of
debate
late 14c., "to quarrel, dispute," also "to combat, fight, make war" (senses now archaic), also "discuss, deliberate upon the pros and cons of," from Old French debatre (13c., Modern French débattre), originally "to fight," from de- "down, completely" (see de-) + batre "to beat,"
agonize
1580s, "to torture" (trans.), from French agoniser (14c.) or directly from Medieval Latin agonizare "to labor, strive, contend...," also "be at the point of death," from Greek agōnizesthai "contend in the struggle, contend for victory or a prize" (in...
concert
from French concerter and directly from Italian concertare "to bring into agreement," apparently from Latin concertare "to contend...with zealously, contest, dispute, debate" from assimilated form of com "with" (see con-) + certare "to contend, strive,"...
dispute
"dispute, fight over, contend for, discuss" and directly from Latin disputare "weigh, examine, discuss, argue, explain,"...The Latin word was used in Vulgate in sense of "to argue, contend with words."...
vie
Sense of "to contend (with) in rivalry" in English is from 1560s; that of "to contend, compete, strive for superiority" is...
urn
late 14c., "large, rounded vase used to preserve the ashes of the dead," from Latin urna "a jar, vessel of baked clay, water-jar; vessel for the ashes of the dead" (also used as a ballot box and for drawing lots), probably from earlier *urc-na, akin to urceus "pitcher, jug," and
run
Old English, "move swiftly by using the legs, go on legs more rapidly than walking," also "make haste, hurry; be active, pursue or follow a course," and, of inanimate things, "to move over a course." The modern verb is a merger of two related Old English words, in both of which t
skirmish
late 14c., scarmuch, "irregular fight, especially between small numbers of soldiers," from Old French escarmouche "skirmish," from Italian scaramuccia, earlier schermugio. This is held to be probably from a Germanic source, with a diminutive or depreciatory suffix (see -ish), fro

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