'ailantine' originates from the genus name 'Ailanthus', specifically the tree 'Ailanthus altissima', where 'Ailanthus' is derived from the Amboinese word 'ailanto', meaning 'tree of heaven'.

'Ailanthus' was adopted into New Latin from the Amboinese language, and 'ailantine' was later derived to describe compounds from this tree.

Initially, it referred to the tree itself, but over time it evolved to describe chemical compounds derived from the tree.