'alphabetiform' originates from the combination of 'alphabet' and the suffix '-form', where 'alphabet' refers to a set of letters or symbols and '-form' means 'having the shape of'.

'alphabet' comes from the Greek 'alphabētos', which is a combination of the first two letters of the Greek alphabet, 'alpha' and 'beta'. The suffix '-form' is derived from Latin 'forma', meaning 'shape' or 'appearance'.

Initially, it meant 'having the shape of letters', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.