Where does “testament” come from?
testament (Old Norse) comes from Latin testamentum, from Latin testor, from Latin testis, from Latin terstis, from Latin trīstis, from Proto-Indo-European tristh₂s, from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- — to stand.
Ancestry of “testament”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | testamentum | will, testament |
| 2 | Latin | testor | I am witness, testify, attest; I make a will |
| 3 | Latin | testis | witness; one who testifies or attests; testicle |
| 4 | Latin | terstis | — |
| 5 | Latin | trīstis | sad, unhappy, melancholy, morose |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | tristh₂s | a third party standing, after the two parties to... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | steh₂- | to stand |