'mismanage' originates from the prefix 'mis-' meaning 'wrongly' and the word 'manage' from Old French 'managier', meaning 'to handle or control'.

'mismanage' evolved from the combination of 'mis-' and 'manage', which was influenced by the Old French 'managier'.

Initially, it meant 'to handle wrongly', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.