contestant
UK[kənˈtestənt]US[kənˈtestənt]
n
a person who takes part in a contest or competition.
n
a person who formally challenges a result or decision, especially in a court of law.
Morpheme Breakdown
con
test
ant
con
together
test
witness
ant
one who
Etymology
the word 'contestant' originates from the latin verb 'contestari', meaning 'to call to witness, bring an action'. this verb itself is composed of 'con-' (together) and 'testari' (to bear witness). the core idea was of a legal proceeding where parties would bring forth witnesses. over time, the sense broadened from a legal dispute to any form of competitive struggle or rivalry. the suffix '-ant' was added to form an agent noun, shifting the focus from the action to the person who engages in it, leading to the modern meaning of one who participates in a contest.
Analysis
Structure: con (together) + test (witness) + ant (one who)
- con: from latin 'con-', a prefix meaning 'together, with'.
- test: from latin 'testari', meaning 'to bear witness', from 'testis' (witness).
- ant: from latin '-ant-', a suffix forming agent nouns, meaning 'one who' performs an action.
Examples
each contestant must answer ten questions.
she was the youngest contestant in the singing competition.
the losing candidate filed an appeal as a contestant of the election results.