Meaning

verb maintain or assert

verb have an argument about something

verb to make the subject of dispute, contention, or litigation

originFrom 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.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0