Does the OED oppose "contrapose"?

[Joel S. Berson]

The OED has for "contrapose, v." sense 1, "trans. To set in
opposition, or over against each other," one lonely quotation from
1617 -- and even that isn't the verb, but rather "[see contraposed
adj. at Derivatives]."

I concede that for "contrapose" (I'm ignoring the participles, to
avoid adjectival instances) GBooks shows no English instances between
1617 and 1799; and only in dictionaries -- but including Johnson's!
("improved by Todd"; 1828) and a Noah Webster! (1852) -- between 1800
and 1869.

But there is a (also lonely) "contraposes" in 1857:  "He comprehends
motives, interpenetrates and contraposes the different elements which
go towards the forming of a character, with a zeal and sympathy which
remind us of the historian of the enigmatical Tiberius".  The London
quarterly review: Volume 8 - Page 211.  (Not verified.)

Going past the probable date the OED last revised this entry, GBooks
finds between 1870 and 1899 four instances (two for sense 2, "Logic.
= contrapone v.", which has no quotations in the OED), not counting
dictionaries.  There is increasing use after 1900.  (I'll submit my
use as soon as it is published.)

Joel

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