'mismake' originates from English, combining the prefix 'mis-' and the verb 'make', where 'mis-' meant 'wrong(ly)' and 'make' meant 'to construct or form'.

'mismake' appeared in Middle English in forms such as 'mismaken' (formed from Old English elements) and developed from the combination of Old English 'mis-' and Old English 'macian / macian-derived' forms for 'make', eventually yielding the modern compound 'mismake'.

Initially it meant 'to make wrongly'; over time the usage has remained similar but the term became rare and was largely supplanted by 'mistake' and other expressions for error.