Where does the word protest come from?

In a coincidental twist of fate, the concept of evidence brought forth by a witness is baked into the word itself.

Pro means “forth” or “before.” Test comes from the latin word testari meaning to call to witness; this in turn derives from the Latin word for witness, testis, that also happens to be the root of the word “testify.”

Drilling down further offers yet more coincidence: testis is derived from a more ancient root “tristi” meaning “third person standing by.”

The power of evidence has never been more apparent.