c. 1600, "fight or do battle for, strive to win or hold," from French contester "dispute, oppose," from Latin contestari (litem) "to call to witness, bring action," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + testari "to bear witness," from testis "a witness," (see testament).
The notion of the Latin compound is "calling witnesses" as the first step in a legal combat. Meaning "make a subject of contention or dispute, enter into competition for" is from 1610s. Sense of "to argue in opposition, call into question" is from 1660s. Related: Contestable; contested; contesting.
c. 1200, "to rebuke," from Old French chalongier "complain, protest; haggle, quibble," from Vulgar Latin *calumniare "to accuse falsely," from Latin calumniari "to accuse falsely, misrepresent, slander," from calumnia "trickery" (see calumny).
From late 13c. as "to object to, take exception to;" c. 1300 as "to accuse," especially "to accuse falsely," also "to call to account;" late 14c. as "to call to fight." Also used in Middle English with sense "claim, take to oneself." Related: Challenged; challenging.
late 14c., convocacioun, "assembly of persons; the calling or holding of a meeting, assembling by summons," from Old French convocation and directly from Latin convocationem (nominative convocatio) "a convoking, calling, or assembling together," noun of action from past-participle stem of convocare "to call together," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + vocare "to call," a verbal derivative of vox "voice" (from PIE root *wekw- "to speak"). Especially "an assembly of the clergy of the Church of England." Related: Convocational.
1540s, "set of church bells," from ring (v.1). The meaning "a call on the telephone" is from 1900; to give (someone) a ring (up) "call on the telephone" was in use by 1910. Meaning "a ringing sound, the sound of a bell or other sonorous body" is from 1620s; specifically "the ringing sound made by a telephone" by 1951. The meaning "resonance of coin or glass as a test of genuineness" is from 1850, hence transferred use (ring of truth, etc.).
early 15c., revocacioun, "a recalling from exile; a retraction" of an oath, etc.; from Old French revocacion and directly from Latin revocationem (nominative revocatio) "a calling back, recalling," noun of action from past-participle stem of revocare "to call back, rescind" (see revoke).
