Where does “tempter” come from?
tempter (Middle English) comes from Middle English tempten, from Old French tempter, from Latin temptō, from Latin tendō, from Ancient Greek τένων, from Proto-Indo-European ten- — to stretch, to extend.
Ancestry of “tempter”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | tempten | to tempt |
| 2 | Old French | tempter | to tempt; to act as a temptation |
| 3 | Latin | temptō | — |
| 4 | Latin | tendō | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | τένων | tendon, sinew |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ten- | to stretch, to extend |