'disalignment' originates from English elements: the prefix 'dis-' (from Latin) and the noun 'alignment' (from Old French/Middle English), where 'dis-' meant 'apart, not' and 'align' originally meant 'to bring into line'.

'align' came into English via Old French 'aligner' / 'alignement' (from Medieval Latin influences) ultimately related to Latin 'linea' ('line'). 'alignment' developed in Middle English, and the prefix 'dis-' was attached to create 'disalignment' to express the opposite or absence of alignment.

Initially related forms meant 'to bring into line' or 'the condition of being in line'; with the addition of 'dis-' the meaning evolved to denote 'the absence of alignment' or 'a state of being not aligned'.