contra-prefix

1. In Latin contrā, construed adverbially with certain verbs, tended at length to be written in combination, as contrā dīcere, later contrādīcere, ‘to speak on the opposite side’, hence ‘to speak in opposition (to a statement or person)’, and so ‘to contradict’; contrā-pōnere to place on the opposite side, to counterpose; contrā-scrībere to write opposite, to countersign; contrā-venīre to come in the opposite direction, oppose, whence to contravene. The later tendency has been to treat the prefix prepositionally, so making the compound transitive. Verbs and esp. verbal derivatives of this type are numerous in English: cf. contra-acting adj., contradistinguish v., contradivide v., contra-colluctation n., contra-rotation n., etc.

2. In late or medieval Latin contra- was used in prepositional combination with an object, as in contrājūris = Greek παράνομος, contrary to law. This was much developed in Romanic, and extended to the formation of nouns, e.g. in 16th cent. Italian contrabando that which is against proclamation or statute, contraband, contrapelo what goes against the hair or grain, contrastomaco, etc. English has several adjectives so formed, and some nouns, as contra-civil, -focal, -rational, -regular, -scriptural, contraregularity, etc.

3. contra- is used in Romanic to indicate a thing made or acting against, in opposition to, in reply to, or as a substitute for, another of the same kind. Probably these were originally akin to class 1, but in course of time some of them tended to the notion of class 2: cf. 16th cent. Italian contralettera reply or opposition-letter, contramuro an opposition wall, contramina an opposition mine, contrascarpa a counterscarp, and many terms belonging to attack and defence; contramaestro the master's mate in a ship, contratossico, contraveleno counterpoison, antidote; cf. contra-approach, contra-proposal n., contra-remonstrance n., etc.; but the ordinary English representation is counter n.¹