Etymology of the English word contretemps
the English word
contretempsderived from the French word
contretempsderived from the Old French word
contrederived from the Latin word
contraderived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*kom (near, with, together)
using the Old French prefix
contre-derived from the French word
tempsderived from the Latin word
tempus (time; time, condition, right time; weather)
derived from the French word
literallyderived from the French word
culderived from the Latin word
culus (buttocks; posterior; anus)
derived from the Medieval Latin word
bonus (good; good, honest, brave; good, moral, honest)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*deu-derived from the Medieval Latin word
canopeumderived from the Greek word
konopeion, κωνωπεῖον
derived from the Greek word
konops, κώνωψ (a mosquito (from its stinging proboscis))
derived from the Old French word
laiederived from the Middle Dutch word
laegederived from the Middle Dutch word
laeyeDate
The earliest known usage of contretemps in English dates from the 17th century.
Usage
Word found in Modern English
