'oversee' originates from English, specifically from the combination of 'over' (from Old English 'ofer') and 'see' (from Old English 'seon'), where 'over' meant 'above/over' and 'see' meant 'to see/look'.

'oversee' changed from Middle English forms such as 'oversēon'/'oversēn' (built from 'over' + Old English 'seon') and eventually became the modern English word 'oversee'.

Initially, it meant 'to look over' (literally to see from above or watch), but over time it evolved into the common modern sense 'to supervise' or 'to be responsible for'.