Fwd: "oppugn, v." - Word of the Day from the OED

Tue Mar 3 20:34:19 CST 2015

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Your word for today is: oppugn, v.

oppugn, v.
[‘ trans. To attack or oppose with words, action, influence, etc.;
esp. to call into question, controvert, or dispute the truth or
validity of (a statement, belief, argument, etc.). Now rare.’]
Pronunciation: Brit. /əˈpjuːn/,  U.S. /əˈpjun/
Forms:   lME opugne,   lME– oppugn,   15 opponge,   15–16 oppugne,
15–16 oppung,   16 opugn;   also Sc.  pre-17 oppugne,   pre-17 oppung,
  pre-17 oppungn.
Etymology: <  Middle French, French †oppugner to attack, assault
(c1372–4), to attack the truth of, to resist (Cotgrave 1611), and its
etymon classical Latin oppugnāre to oppose in speech or action, to
attack, to fight against, assail, assault, besiege, (of a thing) to be
opposed to, run contrary to, in post-classical Latin also to prevail
upon (1578 in the passage translated in quot. 1596 at sense 1a) <  ob-
ob- prefix + pugnāre to fight (see pugne v.). Compare Italian
oppugnare (14th cent. in sense ‘to attack, assault’; now literary).
On the pronunciation history see E. J. Dobson Eng. Pronunc. 1500–1700
(ed. 2, 1968) II. §§ 324, 441.
 rare in later use.
 1.
 a.  trans. To attack or oppose with words, action, influence, etc.;
esp. to call into question, controvert, or dispute the truth or
validity of (a statement, belief, argument, etc.). Now rare.
?1435  in  C. L. Kingsford Chrons. London (1905) 22 (MED), I
swere..that I shall neuer contrarye, ne repugne to this resignacion,
renounsyng, dymyssion, and yeldyng vp; ne neuer opugne hem in no maner
wyse, in dede ne in worde.
1529  T. More Dialogue Heresyes iv. ix. 107 b/1 That wolde..so
enemyously blaspheme and oppugne ye chyrch of Cryst.
1549  Coverdale et al.  tr. Erasmus Paraphr. Newe Test. II. 1 John v.
f. liiiv, He doeth wittynglye throughe malyce opponge them, whome God
woulde well vnto.
1596  J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1895) II. 414 Ȝe wald
in ane and the same crime oppung the Maiestie of God, and my
authoritie.
1634  T. Johnson tr. A. Paré Chirurg. Wks. xxvi. xx. 1049 The simple
medicine alone, hath not strength enough to oppugne the disease.
a1683  A. Sidney Disc. Govt. (1704) i. §5 10 He that oppugns the
publick Liberty, overthrows his own.
1742  R. North  & M. North Life F. North 229 Then, and afterwards, he
openly oppugned Popery.
1817  S. T. Coleridge Biogr. Lit. (1882) iii. 26 In promiscuous
company no prudent man will oppugn the merits of a contemporary in his
own supposed department.
1882 Knowledge No. 16. 334 Inviting the officials whose judgment was
oppugned to say whether they were mistaken.
1896 Amer. Hist. Rev. 1 498 McKean moved to reconsider the Resolution
of Yesterday about small Debtors, Apprentices and Infants enlisting,
he was oppugned and withdrew his Motion.
1986 Guardian (Nexis) 25 Aug., Computers compete.., options are opted
for or oppugned.
2002 Africa News (Nexis) 21 Oct., We should not oppugn the
intellectuals only because of their enlightened status.
†b.  trans. Of a thing: to be opposed to, conflict with, run counter to. Obs.
1584  R. Scot Discouerie Witchcraft xvi. viii. 484 Certeine parts
thereof..doo not directlie oppugne my purpose.
1615  in Buccleuch MSS (Hist. MSS Comm.) (1899) I. 169 A contract
so..unjust, as nothing doth more oppugn the Law of Nature.
c1670  T. Hobbes Dial. Common Laws Eng. 62 When Law and Conscience, or
Law and Equity seem to oppugne one another, the written Law should be
preferr'd.
†c.  intr. To contend or stand in opposition; spec. to speak as
defender or opponent in a debate (cf. oppose v. 1b). Obs.
1591 Troublesome Raigne Iohn ii. sig. B3, Vnworthie man..That dost
oppugne against thy Mother Church.
c1616  R. C. Times' Whistle (1871) Epigrammi Satiron 53 Every one..can
doe nothing if the prohibition Of the Almighty doe oppugne.
1630  R. Blair Life (1848) 87 The matter was the decree of
reprobation, and he to oppugn.
1714  J. Macky Journey through Eng. (1724) I. viii. 142 A
Youth..before he can be a Batchelor of Arts..must publickly oppugn for
several Days.
†2.  trans.
 a.  To fight against, attack, assail, assault, or besiege. Obs. (rare
in later use).
In quot. 1615 used fig.
?a1475 (▸?a1425)  tr. R. Higden Polychron. (Harl.) (1871) III. 269
(MED), Furius Camillus oppugnede the walles in an oþer parte of the
cite.
1570  J. Foxe Actes & Monumentes (rev. ed.) I. 316/1 This towne of
Achon..as it was mightely oppugned by the Christians, so it was
strongly defended by the Saracens.
1597  T. Beard Theatre Gods Iudgements i. xxx. 171 He was induced..to
oppugne the Emperour Henry by armes.
1615  J. Greene Refut. Apol. Actors 21 All the Bulwarks and Fortresses
therein raysed to oppugne the trueth.
1643  W. Prynne Soveraigne Power Parl. iii. 3 The Parliament..may not
onely lawfully resist, but oppugne, suppresse all Forces raised
against it.
1860  E. B. Browning Italy & World xii, That nation still is
predominant Whose pulse beats quickest in zeal to oppugn or Succour
another, in wrong or want.
 b.  To withstand or resist (an attack). Obs. rare—1.
1636  T. Heywood Rape Lucrece iii. iv, in Wks. (1874) V. 205 The
walles made to oppugne Hostile incursions.
†3.  trans. To prevail upon, win over. Obs. rare—1.
1596  J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1888) I. 213 The King
of Peychtes..sum of the Peychtes he oppugnes for money, quha figurand
thame selfes Britonis, walde..throuch deceit put doun Constantine King
of Britannie.
†4.  trans. To oppose (a statement, argument, etc.) to another; to
maintain in opposition that. Obs.
1781  C. Johnstone Hist. John Juniper I. 126 To this opinion it is
oppugned with equal verisimilitude, that [etc.].
1849 Tait's Edinb. Mag. 16 296/1 Lord Kaimes thinks it sufficient to
oppugn that musical proportions and those of architecture are
addressed to different senses.
Derivatives

 oˈppugnable adj. rare capable of being oppugned.
1646  J. Goodwin Anapologesiates Antapologias i. iv. 187 To straine
the opinion of their adversary,..by representing it either with some
such addition to it, or detraction from it, which renders it the more
oppugnable.
1830 Knickerbocker Apr. 284 Similar works were contemplated on the
North River, and the oppugnable portions of the town were reformed and
strengthened.

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