Where does “molest” come from?
Molest comes from Middle English molesten, from Old French molester, from Latin molestāre, derived from the adjective molestus meaning troublesome, formed from moles meaning burden or difficulty.
molest (English): To annoy intentionally; To disturb or tamper...
Definitions
- To annoy intentionally; To disturb or tamper...
Ancestry of “molest”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | molesten | — |
| 2 | Old French | molester | — |
| 3 | Latin | molesto | I bother, harass; dative/ablative... |
| 4 | Latin | molestus | troublesome, irksome, grievous, annoying,... |
| 5 | Latin | mōlēs | — |
Words derived from “molest”