An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

1. Dependent for existence, occurrence, character, etc., on something not yet certain; conditional.
   

2. Liable to happen or not; uncertain; possible.
   

3. Logic: Describing a → proposition that is → true in some possible circumstances and
   → false in others. For example, “it snowed in Paris on 15 December 2000” is contingent: it is true, but it might have been false. On a → truth table a contingent proposition is one that is true for some possible → truth values of its constituent parts and false for others. See also → non-contingent.

Etymology (EN): M.E., from M.Fr. contingent and directly from L. contingentem (nominative contingens) “happening, touching,” pr.p. of contingere “to touch,” → contact.

Etymology (PE): Âmarsân, agent noun from *âmarsidan “to touch,” related to parmâsidan “to touch, feel,” → contact, Mid.Pers. marz “contact, touching,” marzitan “to touch,” Mod.Pers. mâlidan “to rub,” Av. marəz- “to rub, wipe,” marəza- “border, district,” Mod.Pers. marz “border;” ultimately from Proto-Ir. *Hmars- “to touch.”