'acrostically' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'akrostikhis,' where 'akron' meant 'end' and 'stikhos' meant 'line.'

'akrostikhis' transformed into the Latin word 'acrostichis,' and eventually became the modern English word 'acrostic' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'a composition in which certain letters in each line form a word or words,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.