Where does “protestware” come from?

protestware (English) comes from English protest, from Middle English protesten, from Old French protester, from Latin prōtestārī, from Latin testor, from Latin testis, from Latin terstis, from Latin trīstis — to stand.

protestware (English): subverted to serve the ends of a political protest, for example by deleting files or displaying propaganda messages

Definitions

  1. subverted to serve the ends of a political protest, for example by deleting files or displaying propaganda messages

Ancestry of “protestware”, step by step

protestware traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English protest

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishprotestTo make a strong objection; To affirm; To object...
2Middle Englishprotesten
3Old Frenchprotester
4Latinprōtestārī
5LatintestorI am witness, testify, attest; I make a will
6Latintestiswitness; one who testifies or attests; testicle
7Latinterstis
8Latintrīstissad, unhappy, melancholy, morose
9Proto-Indo-Europeantristh₂sa third party standing, after the two parties to...
10Proto-Indo-Europeansteh₂-to stand

via English Ware

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishWareA placename
2Middle EnglishwareAlternative form of veir; Alternative form of...
3Old Englishwærcautious, on guard, watching out for something;...
4Proto-West Germanicwārtrue, reliable
5Proto-Germanicwēraztrue; reliable; friendly; kind
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanwiHrósman; husband; warrior, hero
7Proto-Indo-Europeanweyh₁-to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute
Every word from Proto-Indo-European steh₂-