Where does “litmus test” come from?
litmus test (English) comes from English Test, from German testen, from German Test, from English test, from Middle English teste, from Old French teste, from Latin testis, from Latin terstis — to stand.
litmus test (English): A simple test for the acidity or alkalinity of a...
Definitions
- A simple test for the acidity or alkalinity of a...
Ancestry of “litmus test”, step by step
litmus test traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Test
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Test | a Test match |
| 2 | German | testen | to test |
| 3 | German | Test | test; melting pot |
| 4 | English | test | A challenge, trial; A cupel or cupelling hearth... |
| 5 | Middle English | teste | — |
| 6 | Old French | teste | head |
| 7 | Latin | testis | witness; one who testifies or attests; testicle |
| 8 | Latin | terstis | — |
| 9 | Latin | trīstis | sad, unhappy, melancholy, morose |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | tristh₂s | a third party standing, after the two parties to... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | steh₂- | to stand |