'attaste' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'attasten', where the prefix 'at-' (from Old English/Old Norse/Old French usages) meant a directional or causative element and 'tasten' meant 'to taste or test' (from Old French 'taster' / Vulgar Latin 'tastare').

'attaste' changed from Middle English 'attasten', which itself reflected Old French 'taster' (from Vulgar Latin 'tastare'), and the form survived into Early Modern English in limited use before becoming archaic.

Initially, it meant 'to taste, to try or test something', and this basic sense has remained, though the verb has fallen out of general use and is now considered archaic.