'aphorismic' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'aphorismos', where 'apo-' meant 'away/off' and the root 'horizein' meant 'to limit, define'.

'aphorismic' developed through Latin and Medieval borrowings: Greek 'aphorismos' passed into Latin as 'aphorismus', entered English as 'aphorism', and the adjective was formed in English/modern usage by adding the suffix '-ic' (also yielding variants like 'aphoristic').

Initially it referred to 'a definition' or 'a concise, pointed statement', but over time it evolved to describe the quality 'pertaining to or resembling an aphorism'—i.e., concise, pointed, and often didactic.