Here's a breakdown of its etymological journey:
* Latin "testificari": This means "to bear witness" or "to give evidence," and it's formed from the word "testis," which means "witness."
* Old French "testifier": This adopted the meaning of "to testify" from the Latin "testificari."
* Middle English "testifie": This word entered the English language from Old French.
Therefore, the word "testifie" ultimately traces back to the concept of witnessing and giving evidence.