'acetenyl' originates from 'acetylene', specifically the word 'acetyl', where 'acet-' meant 'vinegar' and '-yl' is a suffix used in chemistry to denote a radical.

'acetyl' transformed into the term 'acetenyl' in modern chemistry to specify a radical derived from acetylene.

Initially, it meant 'a radical derived from acetylene', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.