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

'alphabētos' transformed into the Medieval Latin word 'alphabetum', and eventually became the modern English word 'alphabetise' through Old French 'alphabétiser'.

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