'misperceive' originates from English elements: the negative prefix 'mis-' (Old English 'mis-') combined with the verb 'perceive,' which ultimately comes from Latin 'percipere,' where 'per-' meant 'thoroughly' and 'capere' meant 'to take.'

'perceive' changed from Old French forms such as 'perceivre'/'percevoir', which came from Latin 'percipere,' and eventually became the modern English 'perceive.' The English negative prefix 'mis-' was attached to 'perceive' to form 'misperceive' (meaning 'to perceive wrongly').

Originally, the root 'perceive' (from Latin) had senses like 'to take in, seize, or grasp' (mentally); over time, with the addition of the negative prefix 'mis-,' the combined form came to mean 'to perceive wrongly' or 'to misinterpret.'