'ardhamagadhi' originates from Sanskrit, specifically the word 'ardhamāgadhī', where 'ardha-' meant 'half' and 'māgadhī' meant 'of Magadha (the ancient Indian region).'

'ardhamagadhi' changed from the Prakrit/Sanskrit name 'Ardha‑Māgadhī' (Ardhamāgadhī) used in Jain and Buddhist texts and inscriptions, and eventually became the modern English scholarly term 'ardhamagadhi' through transliteration and borrowing.

Initially, it meant 'half‑Magadhi' (literally a form related to or intermediate with Magadhi), but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a specific ancient Middle Indo‑Aryan (Prakrit) language/dialect used in early Jain scriptures.'