Where does “molesten” come from?

molesten (Middle English) comes from Old French molester, from Latin molesto, from Latin molestus, from Latin mōlēs.

Ancestry of “molesten”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Old French	molester	—
2	Latin	molesto	I bother, harass; dative/ablative...
3	Latin	molestus	troublesome, irksome, grievous, annoying,...
4	Latin	mōlēs	—

molesten — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer