'apotropaic' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'apotropaios', where 'apo-' meant 'away' and the root related to 'trepein' meant 'to turn (away).'

'apotropaic' passed into Late Latin as 'apotropaicus' and then into English (via scholarly/antiquarian usage) as 'apotropaic'.

Initially it carried the literal sense of 'turning away' (from harm), and over time it came to mean 'intended to avert or ward off evil' (the current meaning).