instigator

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*-h₃onh₂-
2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*(s)teyg-“to be sharp, to stab; to puncture; to goad”
3. Latin · derived fromīnstīgātor“stimulator”
4. English todayinstigator

From Latin īnstīgātor (“stimulator”), from īnstīgāre (present infinitive of īnstīgō (“to incite, set on, stimulate, rouse or urge”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teyg- (“to be sharp, to stab; to puncture; to goad”)) + -or (from -ō (suffix forming masculine agent nouns), from Proto-Indo-European *-h₃onh₂- (suffix forming nouns denoting authority or burden)); cognate with French instigateur. By surface analysis, instigate + -or.

Words from the same roots