protestprotest

Protest comes from Middle English protesten, from Old French protester, from Latin prōtestor (prō + testor), from testis ‘witness’.

1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtestis¹‘witness’
2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtestor¹‘to testify’
3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōtestor¹‘to declare publicly’
4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400protester¹
5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500protesten¹
6. Englishearliest quotation 1598–1599protest¹

1. ¹ Wiktionary, English protest
2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1598–1599, Much Adoe about Nothing: “I will protest your cowardice.”.