appraise
UK[əˈpreɪz]US[əˈpreɪz]
v
To assess the value, quality, or nature of something or someone.
v
To give an expert judgment of the value or merit of something.
Morpheme Breakdown
ap
praise
ap
to, towards
praise
to value, to prize
Etymology
The word 'appraise' entered English in the late 15th century from the Old French 'apreisier', which meant 'to set a price on, to value'. This French term was built from the Latin elements 'ad-' (to) and 'pretiare' (to value, from 'pretium', price). The literal sense of "bringing something to a price" or "attaching value to it" has been preserved in its modern meaning. Over time, the spelling was influenced by the unrelated English word 'praise', but its core semantic link to valuation and assessment remains clear, evolving from a purely monetary context to include evaluating quality, merit, or performance.
Analysis
Structure: ap + praise
- ap: A variant of the Latin prefix 'ad-', meaning 'to, towards'. It assimilates to 'ap-' before 'p'.
- praise: From Old French 'prisier', meaning 'to value, to prize'. Its ultimate origin is Latin 'pretiare', from 'pretium' (price, value).
Examples
The jeweler will appraise the antique necklace for insurance purposes.
It is difficult to appraise the true impact of his research at this early stage.
The manager regularly appraises the performance of her team.