Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “testify” come from?

Testify comes from Middle English testifien, from Old French testifier, from Latin testificari meaning to bear witness, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁- meaning to place or put.

testify (English): To make a declaration, or give evidence, under...

Definitions

  1. To make a declaration, or give evidence, under...

Ancestry of “testify”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishtestifien—
2Old Frenchtestifier—
3Latintestificārī—
4LatintestificorI testify, bear witness; I bring to light,...
5Latintestiswitness; one who testifies or attests; testicle
6Latinterstis—
7Latintrīstis—
8Proto-Indo-Europeantristh₂sa third party standing, after the two parties to...
9Proto-Indo-Europeansteh₂-to stand

Words derived from “testify”

  • testifieth
  • testifier
  • testifiable
  • retestify
  • testifiest
  • testifiee
Every word from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- →