'Arabologist' originates from Modern English, formed from 'Arab' + the combining form '-ologist' (ultimately from Greek 'logos'), where 'Arab' comes from Arabic 'al-ʿArab' and the element from Greek 'logos' meant 'word, study' (hence 'one who studies').

'Arabologist' arose by analogy with formation patterns like 'Egyptologist' and other scholarly '-ologist' compounds in Modern English; 'Arab' itself entered English from Medieval/Modern Latin and Old French forms (e.g. Latin 'Arabes', Old French 'Arabe') and was combined with the scholarly suffix to produce the modern compound.

Initially it referred specifically to a person who studies Arabs or Arabic subjects, and it has retained that specialized academic meaning in modern usage.