'apterygial' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'apterygios', where the prefix 'a-' meant 'without' and 'pteryx' (πτερύξ) meant 'wing'.

'apterygial' entered modern scientific English via New Latin (e.g. 'apterygialis') derived from Greek 'apterygios'; the form was adopted into English usage in scientific descriptions of wingless organisms.

Initially it meant 'without wings' in the original Greek, and over time it has retained that core meaning in English as 'wingless' or 'without wings'.