dsafs – Kids Definition of content

History and Etymology for content

Noun (1)

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin contentum (usually in plural contenta), Kids Definition of content  noun derivative from neuter past participle of Latin continēre “to hold together, restrain, have as contents” — more at CONTAIN

Adjective

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Latin contentus “satisfied,” from past participle of continēre “to hold together, restrain, have as contents” — more at CONTAIN

NOTE: The sense “satisfied” of Latin contentus presumably developed from the more literal meaning “self-contained, restrained, held in.” This is still somewhat apparent in early uses, as in this passage from Plautus’s Poenulus: “ego faxo posthac di deaeque ceteri / contentiores mage erunt atque avidi minus, / quom scibunt, ut Veneri adierit leno manum.” (“I will make the other gods and goddesses more restrained (contentiores) and less greedy when they know how the procurer played a trick on Venus.”)

Verb

Middle English contenten “to rest satisfied, satisfy,” borrowed from Anglo-French contenter “to satisfy,” borrowed from Medieval Latin contentāre, verbal derivative of Latin contentus “satisfied” — more at CONTENT entry 2

Noun (2)

noun derivative of CONTENT entry 2 or CONTENT entry 3