Where does “test” come from?

Test comes from Old French test, from Latin testis, meaning witness, derived from the Proto-Indo-European root terh₁-.

test (English): A challenge, trial; A cupel or cupelling hearth...

Definitions

  1. A challenge, trial; A cupel or cupelling hearth...

Ancestry of “test”, step by step

test traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English teste

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishteste—
2Old Frenchtestehead
3Latintestiswitness; one who testifies or attests; testicle
4Latinterstis—
5Latintrīstissad, unhappy, melancholy, morose
6Proto-Indo-Europeantristh₂sa third party standing, after the two parties to...
7Proto-Indo-Europeansteh₂-to stand

via Middle English test

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishtest—
2Old Frenchtestclay; a pot, usually made out of clay
3Latintestumearthenware pot, vessel
4LatinTestaa piece of burned clay, brick, tile
5Latintestaa piece of burned clay, brick, tile; a piece of...

Words derived from “test”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- →