An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

A prefix used with the meanings "against, contrary, opposite." → contra-.

M.E. countre-, from O.Fr. contre-, from L. contra "opposite, against;" PIE base *kom- "beside, near, by, with."

Pâd- "contrary to; against; opposing," variants pâ- (pâsox, pâzahr, pâhang, → response), paž- (pažvâk, → echo, pažâvand "the bar of a door or a gate, door lock"), baž- (bažkam, → forbidden), pat- (patvâz, → correspond), pa- (panâh, padid), from Mid.Pers. pât-, from O.Pers. paity "agaist, back, opposite to, toward, face to face, in front of," Av. paiti, akin to Skt. práti "toward, against, again, back, in return, opposite," Pali pati-, Gk. proti, pros "face to face with, toward, in addition to, near;" PIE *proti.