'apteran' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'apteros', where the prefix 'a-' meant 'without' and 'pteron' meant 'wing'.

'apteros' passed into New Latin/Neo-Latin medical and scientific usage (e.g. 'aptera', 'apterum') and was adopted into English technical vocabulary as 'apteran' to denote wingless forms.

Initially it meant 'without wings' in Greek scientific descriptions, and over time it has retained that core meaning in modern scientific and descriptive English.