'aphesis' originates from New Latin, specifically the word 'aphesis', ultimately from Greek 'aphairesis' (ἀφαίρεσις), where 'a-' meant 'away' and 'phairein' (or 'hairein') meant 'to take away'.

'aphesis' came into English via New Latin (and scholarly usage) from Greek 'aphairesis' meaning 'a taking away'; the term was adopted in linguistic contexts to denote the removal of an initial sound or vowel.

Initially it meant 'a taking away' in a general sense; over time it specialized in linguistics to mean 'the loss of an initial (especially unstressed) vowel'.