'acylation' originates from the word 'acyl,' which is derived from the Latin word 'acylus,' where 'ac-' meant 'toward' and '-yl' is a suffix used in chemistry to denote a radical derived from a specified compound.

'acyl' changed from the Latin word 'acylus' and eventually became the modern English word 'acyl' through scientific terminology.

Initially, it meant 'introduction of an acyl group,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.