'anisette' originates from French, specifically the word 'anisette', where 'anis' meant 'anise' and the suffix '-ette' meant 'little' or a diminutive.

'anisette' derives from French 'anisette' (a diminutive of 'anis'), ultimately from Latin 'anisum' and Greek 'anison'; it entered English from French in the modern period as 'anisette'.

Initially, the word referred to something small related to anise (diminutive), and over time it came to denote specifically an anise-flavored liqueur or small anise-flavored confection; the core sense of 'anise-related small thing' narrowed to these uses.