'misreading' originates from English, specifically the prefix 'mis-' (meaning 'wrong, badly') combined with 'reading' (from the verb 'read'), where 'mis-' meant 'wrongly' and 'read' meant 'to interpret written words or to perceive text.'

'mis-' comes from Old English 'mis-' meaning 'badly, wrongly,' and 'read' comes from Old English 'rǣdan' (to advise, interpret, read); the noun 'reading' was formed by adding the -ing suffix to the verb 'read,' and 'mis-' was prefixed to create 'misreading.'

Initially, it referred specifically to a wrong act of reading text; over time it has also come to mean wrong interpretations of signals, data, or intentions, but the core idea of 'incorrect interpretation' has remained.