'Arakanese' originates from the place name 'Arakan' combined with the suffix '-ese' (from Italian '-ese', ultimately from Latin '-ensis' meaning 'belonging to' or 'originating from').

'Arakanese' was formed in English by attaching the suffix '-ese' to the historical placename 'Arakan' (used in English by Portuguese and British sources). The placename 'Arakan' corresponds to the local name 'Rakhine' in Tibeto-Burman languages.

Initially it meant 'of or from Arakan' (i.e., belonging to that region); over time it has come to refer specifically to the people, the regional culture, and the local dialect(s) now often called Rakhine or Arakanese.