'alphabetise' originates from the Greek word 'alphabetos,' where 'alpha' and 'beta' are the first two letters of the Greek alphabet.

'alphabetos' transformed into the Medieval Latin word 'alphabetum,' and eventually became the modern English word 'alphabet' and its derivative 'alphabetise.'

Initially, it meant 'to arrange in alphabetical order,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.