'litigate' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'litigare,' where 'lit-' meant 'lawsuit' and '-igare' meant 'to drive or conduct.'

'litigare' transformed into the French word 'litiguer,' and eventually became the modern English word 'litigate' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'to drive a lawsuit,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.