Online Etymology Dictionary

contact (v.): 1834, "put in contact," from contact (n.). Meaning "get in touch with" is 1927, American English. Related: Contacted; contacting.
contagion (n.): late 14c., from Old French contagion, from Latin contagionem (nominative contagio) "a touching, contact, contagion," related to contingere "touch closely" (see contact (n.)).
contagious (adj.): late 14c., from Old French contagieus (Modern French contagieux), from Late Latin contagiosus, from Latin contagio (see contact (n.)).
contain (v.): late 13c., from Old French contein-, stem of contenir, from Latin continere (transitive) "to hold together, enclose," from com- "together" (see com-) + tenere "to hold" (see tenet). Related: Containable.
container (n.): mid-15c., agent noun from contain.
containment (n.): 1650s, "action or fact of containing," from contain + -ment. As an international policy of the West vs. the Soviet Union, recorded from 1947.
contaminate (v.): early 15c., from Old French contaminer, from Latin contaminatus, past participle of contaminare "to defile," from contamen "contact, pollution," from com- "together" (see com-) + *tag-, base of tangere "to touch" (see tangent (adj.)). Related: Contaminant (1934); contaminable.
contamination (n.): early 15c., from Latin contaminationem (nominative contaminatio), noun of action from past participle stem of contaminare (see contaminate). Figurative sense is from c. 1620; specifically of radioactivity from 1913.
contango: 1853, a stockbroker's invention, perhaps somehow derived from continue, or from Spanish contengo "I contain, refrain, restrain, check." As a verb, from 1900.
contemn (v.): mid-15c., from Old French contemner (15c.), from Latin contemnere "to despise, scorn" (see contempt).
contemplate (v.): 1590s, from Latin contemplatus, past participle of contemplari "survey, observe" (see contemplation). Related: Contemplated; contemplating.
contemplation (n.): c. 1200, "religious musing," from Old French contemplation or directly from Latin contemplationem (nominative contemplatio) "act of looking at," from contemplat-, past participle stem of contemplari "to gaze attentively, observe," originally "to mark out a space for observation" (as an augur does). From com-, intensive prefix (see com-), + templum "area for the taking of auguries" (see temple (n.1)).
contemplative (adj.): mid-14c., from Old French contemplatif (12c.), from Latin contemplativus, from contemplat-, past participle stem of contemplari (see contemplation).
contemporaneous (adj.): 1650s, from Late Latin contemporaneus "contemporary," from the same source as contemporary but with a form after Late Latin temporaneous "timely." Related: Contemporaneously; contemporaneity.
contemporary (adj.): 1630s, from Medieval Latin contemporarius, from Latin com- "with" (see com-) + temporarius "of time," from tempus "time, season, portion of time" (see temporal (adj.)). Meaning "modern, characteristic of the present" is from 1866.
contemporary (n.): "one who lives at the same time as another," 1630s, originally cotemporary, from co- + temporary; modified by influence of contemporary (adj.). Replacing native time-fellow (1570s).
contempt (n.): late 14c., from Latin contemptus "scorn," from past participle of contemnere "to scorn, despise," from com-, intensive prefix (see com-), + *temnere "to slight, scorn," which is of uncertain origin. Phrase contempt of court is attested from 19c., though the idea is several centuries older.
contemptible (adj.): late 14c., from Latin contemptibilis "worthy of scorn," from contempt-, past participle stem of contemnere (see contempt). Related: Contemptibility; contemptibly.
contemptuous (adj.): 1590s, from Latin contemptus (see contempt). Related: Contemptuously.
contend (v.): mid-15c., from Old French contendre, from Latin contendere "to stretch out, strive after," from com-, intensive prefix (see com-), + tendere "to stretch" (see tenet). Related: Contended; contending.
contender (n.): 1540s, agent noun from contend.
content (v.): early 15c., from Middle French contenter, from content (adj.) "satisfied," from Latin contentus "contained, satisfied," past participle of continere (see contain). Sense evolved through "contained," "restrained," to "satisfied," as the contented person's desires are bound by what he or she already has. Related: Contented; contentedly.
content (adj.): c. 1400, from Old French content, "satisfied," from Latin contentus "contained, satisfied," past participle of continere (see contain). Related: Contently (largely superseded by contentedly).
content (n.): "that which is contained," early 15c., from Latin contentum, contenta, noun use of past participle of continere (see contain). Meaning "satisfaction" is from 1570s; heart's content is from 1590s (Shakespeare).
contention (n.): late 14c., "strife," from Old French contention, from Latin contentionem (nominative contentio), from content-, past participle stem of contendere (see contend).
contentious (adj.): c. 1500, from Middle French contentieux, from Latin contentiosus "obstinate, quarrelsome," from contentionem (see contend). Related: Contentiously; contentiousness.
contentment (n.): mid-15c., from Old French contentment, from contenter (see content (v.)).
contents (n.): "things contained" in something (the stomach, a document, etc.), early 15c., Latin contentum (plural contenta), neuter past participle of continere (see contain). Table of contents is late 15c.
conterminous (adj.): 1670s, from Latin conterminus "bordering upon, having a common boundary," from com- "together, with" (see com-) + terminus "end, boundary line" (see terminus).
contessa (n.): 1819, from Italian contessa, from Medieval Latin cometissa (see countess).
contest (v.): c. 1600, from French contester "dispute, oppose," from Middle French, from Latin contestari (litem) "to call to witness, bring action," from com- "together" (see com-) + testari "to bear witness," from testis "a witness," (see testament). Calling witnesses as the first step in a legal combat. Related: Contestable; contested; contesting.
contest (n.): 1640s, from contest (v.).
contestant (adj.): 1660s, from French contestant, present participle of contester (see contest (v.)).
contestant (n.): "one who contests," from contestant (adj.). Popularized in U.S. Civil War, when it was a journalist's term for the combatants on either side.
contestation (n.): 1540s, from Latin contestationem (nominative contestatio), "an attesting, testimony," noun of action from past participle stem of contestari (see contest (v.)).
contested (adj.): 1670s, past participle adjective from contest (v.). Of elections, from 1771, American English.
contex (v.): obsolete 16c.-17c. verb from Latin contexere "to weave together" (see context).
context (n.): early 15c., from Latin contextus "a joining together," originally past participle of contexere "to weave together," from com- "together" (see com-) + texere "to weave, to make" (see texture (n.)).
contextual (adj.): c. 1820, from context on model of textual, etc. In philosophy, contextual definition is recorded from 1934, along with contextualization, contextualize. Related: Contextualized.
contextualise (v.): chiefly British English spelling of contextualize (see contextual); for suffix, see -ize. Related: Contextualised; contextualising.
contiguity (n.): 1640s, from French contiguité from Latin contiguitas, from contiguus (see contiguous).
contiguous (adj.): 1610s, from Latin contiguus "near, touching, bordering upon," from root of contingere "to touch upon" (see contact). Earlier form, now obsolete, was contiguate (mid-15c.).
continence (n.): late 14c., "self-restraint," from Old French continence (14c.), from Latin continentia "a holding back, repression," from continent-, present participle stem of continere (see continent). Especially of sexual desire from late 14c.; of the body's eliminatory functions, from 1915. Related: Continency.
continent (adj.): late 14c., "self-restraining," from Old French continent and directly from Latin continentem (nominative continens) "holding together, continuous," present participle of continere "hold together" (see contain). Meaning moved from "exercising self-restraint" to "chaste" 14c., and to bowel and bladder control 19c.
continent (n.): "large land mass," 1550s, from continent land (mid-15c.), translating Latin terra continens "continuous land," from continens, present participle of continere (see continent (adj.)).
continental (adj.): 1818 as a purely geographical term, from continent + -al (1). In reference to the European mainland (as opposed to Great Britain), recorded from 1760. Continental breakfast (the kind eaten on the continent as opposed to the kind eaten in Britain) is attested by 1855. In reference to the British American colonies from 1774; the Continental Congress is attested from 1775; continental divide in use by 1865; continental rise in geology from 1959; continental slope from 1907. Continental shelf first attested 1888.
continental drift: 1925, a translation of German Kontinentalverschiebung, proposed 1912 by German scientist Alfred Wegener (1880-1930); the theory was not widely accepted until after c. 1950.
continentality (n.): 1897, a term in meteorology, from German kontinentalität (1895), from Latin continentem (see continent (adj.)).
contingence (n.): early 16c., from Medieval Latin *contingentia, from contingent- present participle stem of contingere "to touch" (see contact (n.)).
contingencies (n.): "unexpected additional expenses," 1660s, from contingency.