'acetylacetonate' originates from 'acetylacetone', specifically the word 'acetyl' and 'acetone', where 'acetyl' meant 'a functional group derived from acetic acid' and 'acetone' meant 'a simple ketone'.

'acetylacetone' transformed into the chemical term 'acetylacetonate' to describe its salts and esters.

Initially, it referred to the compound 'acetylacetone', but over time it evolved to include its derivatives, 'acetylacetonates'.