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

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishtemptento tempt
2Old Frenchtempterto tempt; to act as a temptation
3Latintemptōto test the strength; to make an attack upon
4Latintendōto stretch, stretch out, distend, extend
5Ancient Greekτένωνtendon, sinew
6Proto-Indo-Europeanten-to stretch, to extend

Words derived from “tempter

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ten-Every word from Ancient Greek τένωνEvery word from Latin tendō
tempter — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer