'acetolysis' originates from the combination of 'aceto-' from Latin 'acetum' meaning 'vinegar' and '-lysis' from Greek 'lysis' meaning 'loosening' or 'dissolution'.

'acetolysis' was formed by combining the Latin and Greek roots to describe a specific type of chemical reaction involving acetic acid.

Initially, it referred to any reaction involving acetic acid, but now it specifically denotes the breakdown of compounds by acetic acid.