'assess' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'assessus,' where 'ad-' meant 'toward' and 'sedere' meant 'to sit.'

'assessus' transformed into the Old French word 'assesser,' and eventually became the modern English word 'assess' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'to sit beside or assist in judgment,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'to evaluate or estimate the nature, ability, or quality of something.'