contend

The story

1. Latin · derived fromcontendere“to stretch out, extend, strive after, contend”
2. Old French · derived fromcontendre
3. Middle English · inherited fromcontenden
4. English todaycontend

From Middle English contenden, borrowed from Old French contendre, from Latin contendere (“to stretch out, extend, strive after, contend”), from com- (“together”) + tendere (“to stretch”); see tend, and compare attend, extend, intend, subtend.