Where does “contretemps” come from?
contretemps (English) comes from French contretemps, from French temps, from Old French temps, from Latin tempus, from Proto-Indo-European tempos, from Proto-Indo-European temp- — to extend, stretch, span; to stetch, string; to...
contretemps (English): An unforeseen, inopportune, or embarrassing...
Definitions
- An unforeseen, inopportune, or embarrassing...
Ancestry of “contretemps”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | contretemps | a contretemps, a hitch, a hold-up, a setback |
| 2 | French | temps | time; weather; tense |
| 3 | Old French | temps | weather |
| 4 | Latin | tempus | time, period, age; season; kairos, right time,... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | tempos | stretch |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | temp- | to extend, stretch, span; to stetch, string; to... |