'arseniasis' originates from Modern Latin/Neo-Latin, specifically the combination of 'arsen-' (from 'arsenic') and the Greek suffix '-iasis', where '-iasis' meant 'disease or pathological condition'.

'arseniasis' was formed in Modern Latin by combining the element name 'arsenic' (via Medieval Latin 'arsenicum', from Greek 'arsenikon') with the Greek suffix '-iasis' used in medical coinages; such formations became common in English medical terminology in the 19th century.

Initially it denoted a condition related to arsenic exposure in general, but over time it has come to refer specifically to chronic arsenic poisoning with characteristic dermatologic changes and increased cancer risk.