'arterialize' originates from English formation combining the adjective 'arterial' and the verb-forming suffix '-ize'. 'Arterial' itself comes from the noun 'artery'.

'artery' comes from Latin 'arteria', from Greek 'artēría' (ἀρτηρία). The adjective 'arterial' developed from 'artery' in later English; adding the productive suffix '-ize' (from French/Greek/Latin formation patterns) yielded 'arterialize', and the past/adjective form 'arterialized' followed.

Initially, the Greek word 'artēría' referred to a windpipe or vessel; over time it became specialized to mean the blood vessel we call an 'artery.' The modern verb 'arterialize' (and adjective 'arterialized') has the current technical meaning of supplying or making like an artery or arterial blood.