'amylase-reactive' originates from the compound of 'amylase' and 'reactive'. 'amylase' derives from Neo-Latin 'amylum' (from Greek 'amylon') meaning 'starch', combined with the enzyme-forming suffix '-ase' (coined in the late 19th century); 'reactive' comes from Latin elements 're-' (again, back) and 'agere' ('to do, act').

'amylase' changed from Greek 'amylon' to Latin 'amylum', later forming the modern combining form 'amyl-' plus the suffix '-ase' to name the starch‑digesting enzyme; 'reactive' developed from the verb 'react' (from Latin roots) into the adjective 'reactive' in modern English to describe a tendency to react.

Initially, terms related to 'amyl-' referred to 'starch' itself, but over time 'amylase' came to mean the enzyme that acts on starch; 'reactive' originally meant 'capable of responding' and has been specialized in science to mean 'likely to undergo a chemical reaction'.