Where does “testament” come from?
testament (Old French) comes from Latin testāmentum, from Latin testārī, from Italian testare, from English Test, from German testen, from German Test, from English test, from Middle English teste — to stand.
testament (Old French): testimony; statement
Ancestry of “testament”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | testāmentum | — |
| 2 | Latin | testārī | — |
| 3 | Italian | testare | To be testate; To test; to sample |
| 4 | English | Test | a Test match |
| 5 | German | testen | to test |
| 6 | German | Test | test; melting pot |
| 7 | English | test | A challenge, trial; A cupel or cupelling hearth... |
| 8 | Middle English | teste | — |
| 9 | Old French | teste | head |
| 10 | Latin | testis | witness; one who testifies or attests; testicle |
| 11 | Latin | terstis | — |
| 12 | Latin | trīstis | — |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | tristh₂s | a third party standing, after the two parties to... |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | steh₂- | to stand |
Words derived from “testament”