Contend
late Middle English (in the sense ‘compete for (something)’): from Old French contendre or Latin contendere, from con- ‘with’ + tendere ‘stretch, strive’.
wiktionary
From Middle English contenden, borrowed from Old French contendre, from Latin contendere(“to stretch out, extend, strive after, contend”), from com-(“together”) + tendere(“to stretch”); see tend, and compare attend, extend, intend, subtend.
etymonline
contend (v.)
mid-15c., "engage in rivalry, compete," from Old French contendre and directly from Latin contendere "to stretch out; to shoot, hurl, throw; strive after mentally; measure or try one's strength with, fight, vie with," from assimilated form of com-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see com-), + tendere "to stretch" (from PIE root *ten- "to stretch"). From 1540s as "to assert, affirm, maintain." Related: Contended; contending.
