'appraise' originates from Old French, specifically the word 'apreisier,' where 'a-' meant 'to' and 'preisier' meant 'value.'

'apreisier' transformed into the Middle English word 'apreisen,' and eventually became the modern English word 'appraise.'

Initially, it meant 'to set a price on something,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'to assess the value or quality of something.'