'dissemble' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'dissimulare,' where 'dis-' meant 'apart' and 'simulare' meant 'to simulate or pretend.'

'dissimulare' transformed into the Old French word 'dissimuler,' and eventually became the modern English word 'dissemble' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'to pretend or disguise,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.