'apprehension' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'apprehensio,' where 'ad-' meant 'toward' and 'prehendere' meant 'to seize or grasp.'

'apprehensio' transformed into the Old French word 'apprehension,' and eventually became the modern English word 'apprehension' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'to seize or grasp something,' but over time it evolved into its current meanings of 'anxiety' and 'understanding.'