English
contest
Contest comes from French contester, from Latin contestor ‘to call to witness’, from testor, from testis ‘witness’, of disputed origin.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtestis‘a witness’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtestor‘to be witness’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcontestor‘to call to witness’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentcontester‘to contest’
- Englishearliest quotation 1725contest
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtestis‘a witness’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtestor‘to be witness’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcontestor‘to call to witness’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentcontester‘to contest’
- Englishearliest quotation 1725contest
Earliest quotation: 1725, Homer, Book IV: “Of man, who dares in pomp with Jove contest?”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand (up)’
state, post, system, stay, stand, rest, distance, assistance, stadium, instance, assistant, stood, stable, assist, stability, establish, constitution, substance, instant, static, insist, destiny, distant, stem, resist, destination, consistent, stud, persistent, prostitution, consist, persist, stationary, stool, prostitute, stamina, stale, substitution, distal, armistice, 152 more
through Latin testis ‘a witness’
testimony, testicular, testimonial, testicle, attestation, testis, 11 more
through Latin testor ‘to be witness, testify, attest’
Today it means
noun Controversy; debate.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin testis / contest