'amphirhine' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'amphi-' meaning 'both' and 'rhin-' meaning 'nose'.

'amphi-' and 'rhin-' combined in Greek to form 'amphirhine', which was adopted into English with the same meaning.

Initially, it meant 'having nostrils on both sides', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.