'antanaclasis' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'ἀντανάκλασις' (antanáklasis), where 'anti-' meant 'against' or 'opposite' and the root related to 'reflection' or 'bending back'.

'antanaclasis' passed into Latin and later into English as a technical rhetorical term; the Greek 'ἀντανάκλασις' gave rise to Late Latin/Medieval usages and eventually the modern English 'antanaclasis'.

Initially it referred to 'reflection' or 'echo' in the literal sense, but over time it came to mean the rhetorical device of repeating a word with a changed meaning.