'evaluate' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'valere,' where 'e-' meant 'out' and 'valere' meant 'to be strong or worth.'

'valere' transformed into the French word 'évaluer,' and eventually became the modern English word 'evaluate' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'to assess the value or worth of something,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.