'alcaiceria' originates from Arabic, specifically the word 'al-qaysarīyah', where 'al-' meant 'the' and 'qaysarīyah' referred to a market or bazaar.

'al-qaysarīyah' transformed into the Spanish word 'alcaicería', and eventually became the modern English word 'alcaiceria'.

Initially, it meant 'a market or bazaar', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.