Etymology

counterargue

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Today it means: To argue against, especially by opposition to and negation of opposing arguments (rather than the bolstering of one’s own position). Full definition →

English argue ← Middle English arguen ← Old French arguer
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
  3. Proto-Italic*kom
  4. Proto-Italic*kom-
  5. Proto-Italic*komteros
  6. Proto-Italic*komterād
  7. Latincontrā
  8. Old Frenchcontre-
  9. Anglo-Normancountre-
  10. Middle Englishcounter-
  11. Englishcounter-
  12. Proto-Indo-European*h₂erǵ-
  13. Proto-Indo-European*h₂érǵus
  14. Proto-Italic*argusder.?
  15. Latinarguō
  16. Old Frencharguer
  17. Middle Englisharguen
  18. Englishargue
  19. English todaycounterargue

From counter- + argue, on the pattern of counterargument.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.