testicule (French)

Where does "testicule" come from?

The French noun 'testicule' was borrowed from the Latin 'testiculus'[1]. This Latin term itself functions as a diminutive of the earlier Latin word 'testis', meaning 'testicle'[2]. The ultimate origin of 'testis' remains disputed, with suggestions ranging from a connection to the word for 'witness' due to bearing witness to the sex act[3].

Open questions

• The ultimate origin of the Latin word testis is disputed and remains uncertain. [3]

Full etymology tree

• testicule (French), 'testicle'
  • borrowed testiculus (Latin), 'a testicle'
    • derived testis (Latin), 'testicle'
      • derived testis (Latin), 'witness'

Ancestors

• testiculus (Latin)

Descendants and derived words

• testiculaire (French)
• تستیکول (Persian)

Sources

1. testicule (French) - Wiktionary
2. testiculus (Latin) - Wiktionary
3. testis (Latin) - Wiktionary

Updated September 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris