Online Etymology Dictionary

contravening (n.): 1640s, verbal noun from contravene; from 1802 as a present participle adjective.
contravention (n.): 1570s, from Middle French contravention, from Vulgar Latin *contraventionem, noun of action from past participle stem of contravenire (see contravene).
contretemps (n.): 1680s, "a blunder in fencing," from French contre-temps "motion out of time, unfortunate accident, bad times;" from Latin contra "against" (see contra) + tempus "time" (see temporal). As a ballet term, from 1706; as "an unfortunate accident," 1802; as "a dispute," from 1961.
contribute (v.): 1520s, from Latin contributus, past participle of contribuere "to bring together, add, unite, collect, contribute" (see contribution). Figurative sense is from 1630s. Related: Contributed; contributing.
contribution (n.): late 14c., from Old French contribution and directly from Latin contributionem (nominative contributio), noun of action from past participle stem of contribuere "to bring together, add, contribute," from com- "together" (see com-) + tribuere "to allot, pay" (see tribute).
contributor (n.): also contributer, mid-15c., from Anglo-French contributour, from Vulgar Latin *contributorem, agent noun from contribut-, stem of contribuere (see contribution). Related: Contributory (early 15c.).
contrite (adj.): c. 1300, from Old French contrit and directly from Latin contritus, literally "worn out, ground to pieces," past participle of conterere "to grind," from com- "together" (see com-) + terere "to rub" (see throw (v.)). Used in English in figurative sense of "crushed in spirit by a sense of sin." Related: Contritely.
contrition (n.): c. 1300, contrycyun, from Old French contriciun (Modern French contrition) and directly from Latin contritionem (nominative contritio), noun of action from past participle stem of conterere (see contrite).
contrivance (n.): 1620s, from contrive + -ance.
contrive (v.): early 14c., from Old French controver (Modern French controuver) "to find out, contrive, imagine," from Late Latin contropare "to compare" (via a figure of speech), from Latin com- "with" (see com-) + tropus "song, musical mode," from Greek tropos "figure of speech" (see trope).

Sense evolution (in French) was from "invent with ingenuity" to "invent falsely." Spelled contreve until unexplained 15c. sound change that also affected briar, friar, choir. Related: Contrived; contriving.
control (v.): early 14c., "to check, verify, regulate," from Anglo-French contreroller "exert authority," from Medieval Latin contrarotulus "a counter, register," from Latin contra- "against" (see contra) + rotulus, diminutive of rota "wheel" (see roll (n.)). From a medieval method of checking accounts by a duplicate register. Sense of "dominate, direct" is mid-15c. Related: Controlled; controlling.

Control group in scientific experiments is attested from 1952 (from a sense of control attested since 1875).
control (n.): 1580s, from control (v.). Control freak is late 1960s slang.
controllable (adj.): 1570s, from control (v.) + -able.
controlled (adj.): 1580s, past participle adjective from control (v.). Of rent, from c. 1930.
controller (n.): late 14c., from Anglo-French contrerolleour (late 13c.), Old French contrerelleor (Modern French contrôleur), from Medieval Latin contrarotulator, agent noun from *contra-rotulare (see control (v.)). Mechanical sense is from 1867.
controlling (adj.): "overbearing," 1570s, present participle adjective from control (v.).
controversal (adj.): 1610s, from Latin controversus "turned against" (see controversy) + -al (1).
controversary (adj.): c. 1600, from stem of Latin controversus (see controversy) + -ary.
controverse (v.): c. 1600, from French controversé, from Latin controversus (see controversy).
controversial (adj.): 1580s, from Late Latin controversialis "pertaining to controversy," from Latin controversia (see controversy).
controversy (n.): late 14c., from Old French controversie or directly from Latin controversia, from controversus "turned in an opposite direction, disputed, turned against," from contra- "against" (see contra) + versus (see verse).
controvert (v.): c. 1600, probably a back-formation from controversy. Related: Controverted; controverting; controvertible.
contumacious (adj.): c. 1600, from Latin contumaci-, stem of contumax "haughty, insolent, obstinate" (see contumely) + -ous.
contumacy (n.): late 14c., from Latin contumacia "haughtiness, insolence," noun of quality from contumax (see contumely).
contumelious (adj.): late 15c., from Old French contumelieus, from Latin contumeliosus "reproachful, insolently abusive," from contumelia (see contumely).
contumely (n.): late 14c., from Old French contumelie, from Latin contumelia "a reproach, insult," probably related to contumax "haughty, stubborn," from com-, intensive prefix (see com-), + tumere "to swell up" (see tumid).
The unhappy man left his country forever. The howl of contumely followed him across the sea, up the Rhine, over the Alps; it gradually waxed fainter; it died away; those who had raised it began to ask each other, what, after all, was the matter about which they had been so clamorous, and wished to invite back the criminal whom they had just chased from them. [Thomas Babington Macaulay, "Lord Byron," 1877]
contusion (n.): c. 1400, from Middle French contusion, from Latin contusionem (nominative contusio) "crushing, bruising," from contus-, past participle stem of contundere "to beat, break to pieces," from com-, intensive prefix (see com-), + tundere "to beat" (see obtuse).
contusive (adj.): 1798, from Latin contus-, past participle stem of contundere (see contusion) + -ive.
conundrum (n.): 1590s, Oxford University slang for "pedant," also "whim," etc., later (1790) "riddle, puzzle." Also spelled quonundrum. The sort of ponderous pseudo-Latin word that was once the height of humor in learned circles.
conurbation (n.): 1915, from Latin com- "with, together" (see com-) + urbs "city" + -ation. Coined by Scottish biologist and urban planner Patrick Geddes (1854-1932) in "Cities in Evolution."
conus (n.): 1885, from Latin conus "cone" (see cone).
convalesce (v.): late 15c., from Latin convalescere "thrive, regain health," from com-, intensive prefix (see com-), + valescere "to begin to grow strong," inchoative of valere "to be strong" (see valiant). Only in Caxton and Scottish writers until 19c. Related: Convalesced; convalescing.
convalescence (n.): late 15c., from Middle French convalescence (15c.), from Late Latin convalescentia "regaining of health," from convalescentem (nominative convalescens), present participle of convalescere (see convalesce).
convalescent (adj.): 1650s, from French convalescent, from Latin convalescentem (nominative convalescens), present participle of convalescere (see convalesce). As a noun, attested from 1758.
convection (n.): 1620s, from Latin convectionem (nominative convectio) "the act of carrying," noun of action from past participle stem of convehere "to carry together," from com- "together" (see com-) + vehere "to carry" (see vehicle). Related: Convective. Convection current recorded from 1868.
convenance (n.): late 15c., from French convenance "convention, agreement, convenience," from convenant, present participle of convenir "to come together" (see convene).
convene (v.): early 15c., from Middle French convenir "to suit, agree," from Latin convenire "unite, be suitable, agree, assemble," from com- "together" (see com-) + venire "to come" (see venue). Related: Convened; convener; convening.
convenience (n.): late 14c., "agreement, conformity," from Latin convenientia "meeting together, agreement, harmony," from conveniens, present participle of convenire (see convene). Meaning "suitable, adapted to existing conditions" is from c. 1600; that of "personally not difficult" is from 1703.
conveniences (n.): "material appliances conducive to personal comfort," 1670s, plural of convenience.
convenient (adj.): late 14c., from Latin convenientem (nominative conveniens), present participle of convenire (see convene).
conveniently (adv.): late 14c., "harmoniously," from convenient + -ly (2). Meaning "in a way that avoids difficulty" is from c. 1500.
convenor (n.): variant of convener (see convene).
convent (n.): c. 1200, covent, cuvent, from Anglo-French covent, from Old French convent, from Latin conventus "assembly," used in Medieval Latin for "religious house," originally past participle of convenire "come together" (see convene). Not exclusively feminine until 18c. The form with restored Latin -n- emerged early 15c. The Middle English form remains in London's Covent Garden district (notorious late 18c. for brothels), so called because it had been the garden of a defunct monastery.
COVENT GARDEN ABBESS. A bawd.
COVENT GARDEN AGUE. The venereal diſeaſe.
["Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue," 1796]
conventicle (n.): from Latin conventiculum "a small assembly," diminutive of conventus (see convent).
convention (n.): early 15c., convencioun, "a formal agreement, covenant, treaty," also "a formal meeting or convention" (of rulers, etc.), also "a private or secret agreement," from Middle French convention and directly from Latin conventionem (nominative conventio) "meeting, assembly, covenant," noun of action from past participle stem of convenire "unite, be suitable, agree, assemble," from com- "together" (see com-) + venire "to come" (see venue).

Originally of princes, powers, and potentates. In diplomacy, of agreements between states, from mid-15c.; of agreements between opposing military commanders from 1780. Meaning "assembly of persons for a common objective," especially involving legislation or deliberation is from mid-16c. Conventions were important in U.S. history and the word is attested in colonial writings from 1720s; in reference to political party nomination meetings by 1817 (originally at the state level; national conventions began to be held in the 1830s).

In the social sense, "general agreement on customs, etc., as embodied in accepted standards or usages" (sometimes in a bad sense) by 1747. Hence "rule or practice based on general conduct" (1790).
conventional (adj.): late 15c., "of the nature of an agreement," from Late Latin conventionalis "pertaining to convention or agreement," from Latin conventionem "a meeting, assembly, covenant" (see convention). Meaning "of the nature of a convention" in the "formal meeting" sense is from 1812, now rare; that of "established by social convention" is from 1761. Sense of "following tradition" is from 1831; that of "non-nuclear" is from 1955. Realted: Conventionality; conventionally.
converge (v.): 1690s, from Late Latin convergere "to incline together" from com- "together" (see com-) + vergere "to bend" (see verge (v.)). Related: Converged; converging.
convergence (n.): 1713, from converge + -ence. Related: Convergent. Convergent evolution was in use among biologists by 1890.
conversant (adj.): late 14c., from Old French conversant, present participle of converser (see converse (v.)).
conversate (v.): by 1994, apparently a back-formation from conversation or an elaboration of converse. According to some, from African-American vernacular.