'arcady' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'Ἀρκαδίᾱ (Arkadíā)', where 'Arkas' is the mythic name associated with the region of Arcadia in the Peloponnese.

'arcady' changed from Medieval and Late Latin 'Arcadia' and Middle English 'Arcadie' and eventually became the modern English poetic noun 'arcady'.

Initially, it referred to the actual geographical region 'Arcadia' in Greece, but over time it evolved to mean an idealized pastoral paradise or rural idyll.