'arsphenamine' is a modern compound coinage formed from the combining elements 'ars-' (from 'arsenic'), 'phen-' (from 'phenyl'), and the chemical suffix '-amine'; these elements derive from New Latin and modern chemical nomenclature rather than a single classical source.

'arsphenamine' was coined in the early 20th century to name Paul Ehrlich's arsenical therapeutic (commercially known as 'Salvarsan'); the term blends chemical roots rather than arising from a single inherited word and therefore entered English as a constructed scientific name.

Initially it referred specifically to the arsenical drug used to treat syphilis (and closely linked to the trade name Salvarsan); over time the term has become largely historical, referring now to the compound and its historical role rather than to a current therapy.