'alkyl' originates from the German word 'Alkohol,' where 'alk-' referred to 'alcohol' and '-yl' is a suffix used in organic chemistry to denote a radical derived from a specified compound.

'Alkohol' transformed into the German word 'Alkyl,' and eventually became the modern English word 'alkyl' through scientific terminology.

Initially, it meant 'a radical derived from alcohol,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a group of organic compounds derived from alkanes.'