'anti-scurvy' originates from combining the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti', meaning 'against') with 'scurvy' (from Old French 'escorbut' via Latin 'scorbutus').

'scurvy' changed from Old French 'escorbut' and Latin 'scorbutus' into Middle English forms such as 'scorbut' and eventually the modern English 'scurvy'; the modern compound 'anti-scurvy' arose by attaching the productive prefix 'anti-' to 'scurvy'.

Initially, 'scurvy' referred to the disease known as 'scorbutus'; combining it with 'anti-' produced a descriptive term meaning 'against scurvy' or 'preventing scurvy', a usage that has remained literal and specific.