'instigate' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'instigare,' where 'in-' meant 'into' and 'stigare' meant 'to goad or incite.'

'instigare' transformed into the French word 'instiguer,' and eventually became the modern English word 'instigate' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'to goad or incite,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.