'appeal' originates from Latin, specifically the verb 'appellāre', where the root carried the sense 'to address' or 'to call upon'.

'appeal' passed into Old French as 'apeler' (to call), entered Middle English in forms such as 'apeilen'/'apelen', and eventually became the modern English word 'appeal'.

Initially it meant 'to call upon or address (someone)'; over time it developed the sense of 'making a formal request' and, in law, 'seeking review by a higher court', which led to adjectival forms like 'appealable' meaning 'capable of being appealed'.