Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CON, prep. [CON-; with or against.]

A Latin inseparable preposition or prefix to other words. Ainsworth remarks that con and cum have the same signification, but that cum is used separately, and con in composition. Con and cum may be radically distinct words. The Irish comh, or coimh, is equivalent to the Latin con; and the Welsh cym, convertible into cyv, appears to be the same word, denoting, says Owen, a mutual act, quality or effect. It is precisely equivalent to the Latin com, in comparo, compono, and the Latin com, in composition, may be the Celtic comh or cym. But generally it seems to be con, changed into com. Ainsworth deduces cum from the Greek συν; for originally it was written cyn. But this is probably a mistake. Con coincides in radical letters and in signification with the Teutonic gain, gen, gean, igen, igien, in the English again, against; Sax. gean, ongean; Sw. igen; Dan. igien. Whatever may be its origin or affinities, the primary sense of the word is probably from some root that signifies to meet or oppose, or turn and meet; to approach to, or to be with. This is the radical sense of most prepositions of the like import. See the English with, again. So in Irish, coinne, a meeting; os coinne, opposite. Con, in compounds, is changed into l before l, as in colligo, to collect, and into m before a labial, as in comparo, to compare. Before a vowel or h, the n is dropped; as in coalesco, to coalesce, to cooperate; cohibeo, to restrain. It denotes union, as in conjoin; or opposition, as in conflict, contend. Qu. W. gan, with.