Etymology

counterinstance

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Today it means: An instance (example) which shows the opposite of a given theory to be true, thus disproving it. Full definition →

English instance ← Middle English counter- ← Anglo-Norman countre-
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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. Englishinstance
  13. English todaycounterinstance

From counter- + instance.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.