Etymograph

English

testicle

Testicle comes from Latin testiculus ‘a testicle’, and goes back to testis.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtestis1
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtesticulus2‘a testicle’
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1961testicle2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin testiculus
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English testicle
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs: “In France, Mme. de Pompadour was induced by Louis…”.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtestisWiktionary, Latin testiculus
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtesticulusWiktionary, English testicle‘a testicle’
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1961testicleWiktionary, English testicle. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs: “In France, Mme. de Pompadour was induced by Louis…”

Linked words

through Latin testis

contest, testament, attest, detest, testator, 16 more

Today it means

noun A testis: the male sex and endocrine gland, found in most types of animals, that produces sperm and male sex hormones, including the steroid testosterone.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “testicle”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin testiculus. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Latin testis / testicle

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