'mischievous' originates from Old French, specifically the word 'meschever,' where 'mes-' meant 'badly' and 'chever' meant 'to come to an end.'

'meschever' transformed into the Middle English word 'mischiefe,' and eventually became the modern English word 'mischievous.'

Initially, it meant 'unfortunate or disastrous,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'playfully causing trouble.'