Testicle
/ˈtɛs.tɪ.kəl/noun
Either of the two male reproductive glands that produce sperm and hormones.
Did you know?Latin testiculus is a diminutive of testis, and testis meant both “witness” and, in some contexts, “male witness,” which is why the anatomy term carries that strange legal-shadow history.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tris-
“A proposed root for "third" is sometimes discussed in older scholarship, but the etymology is not securely based on this; the standard origin is Latin testis.”
Latin
Latin
testis
“Witness; later also a male witness in legal contexts.”
Latin
Latin
testiculus
“Little witness; a diminutive form used for the anatomical term.”
Late Latin
Latin
testiculus
“The male reproductive gland.”
Old French
Old French
testicule
“Testicle.”
Middle English
English
testicle
“Testicle.”