Where does “playtest” come from?

playtest (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.

playtest (English): To test a newly developed game by playing it or...

Definitions

  1. To test a newly developed game by playing it or...

Ancestry of “playtest”, step by step

playtest traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Test

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishTesta Test match
2Germantestento test
3GermanTesttest; melting pot
4EnglishtestA challenge, trial; A cupel or cupelling hearth...
5Middle Englishteste—
6Old Frenchtestehead
7Latintestiswitness; one who testifies or attests; testicle
8Latinterstis—
9Latintrīstissad, unhappy, melancholy, morose
10Proto-Indo-Europeantristh₂sa third party standing, after the two parties to...
11Proto-Indo-Europeansteh₂-to stand

via English play

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishplayTo act in a manner such that one has fun; to...
2Middle EnglishpleyeHappiness, mirth, jolliness, or gaiety; Fun,...
3Old Englishpleġaexercise
4Proto-West Germanicplegōcare; an exercise; a game
5Proto-West Germanic-ōCreates adverbs from adjectives; Creates agent...
6Proto-Germanic-ô-ly; Forms agent nouns, often from the zero-grade...
7Proto-Indo-European-ōDerives nouns from roots
Every word from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European tristh₂s →Every word from Latin trīstis →