'misassign' originates from the prefix 'mis-' meaning 'wrongly' and the word 'assign' from Latin 'assignare', where 'ad-' meant 'to' and 'signare' meant 'mark'.

'assignare' transformed into the Old French word 'assigner', and eventually became the modern English word 'assign'. The prefix 'mis-' was added to form 'misassign'.

Initially, it meant 'to mark or designate wrongly', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.