Etymology Map
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Pest

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a destructive insect or animal; an annoying person

Where does the word "pest" come from? It comes from Latin pestis, passing through French before entering English (1550s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
pestis
Latin · ancient
"plague"
a deadly disease
2
Stage 2 of 3
peste
French · 1500s
"plague"
French 'peste' meant the plague itself; the sense 'troublesome person or thing' appears in English around 1600
3
Stage 3 of 3
pest
English · 1550s
"plague"
the sense 'annoying creature' dates from the 1600s
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Read the full story

Pest’s story begins in Latin: pestis meant “plague.” A deadly disease. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in French as peste. French 'peste' meant the plague itself; the sense 'troublesome person or thing' appears in English around 1600. It reached English by 1550s as pest. The sense 'annoying creature' dates from the 1600s. Today, pest means a destructive insect or animal; an annoying person.