Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “contract” come from?

Contract comes from Old French contract, from Latin contractum, the past participle of contraho, meaning to draw together, from the prefix com- meaning with or together.

contract (English): An agreement between two or more parties, to...

Definitions

  1. An agreement between two or more parties, to...

Ancestry of “contract”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchcontract—
2Latincontractuscollected, accomplished, contracted; narrow,...
3Latincontrahō—
4Latincōn-—
5Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
6Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
7Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
9Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
10Middle Englishkyt—
11Germankitt—
12Old High Germankuti—
13Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
14Proto-Germanickweduzresin
15Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
16Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “contract”

  • contracting
  • subcontract
  • contractarian
  • contractive
  • precontract
  • contractarianism
  • contractible
  • contractee
  • noncontractible
  • noncontracting
  • noncontract
  • recontract
  • contractable
  • contractivity
  • contractability
  • contracteth
  • contractless
  • contractest
  • subcontractee
  • decontract
  • quasi-contract
  • supercontractivity
  • ultracontractivity
  • e-contract
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →