'arthrorheumatism' originates from Greek combining form 'arthro-' (from Greek 'arthron') meaning 'joint' and 'rheumatism' (from Greek 'rheuma') meaning 'a flow' or 'that which flows (in the body)'.

'arthrorheumatism' was formed in modern medical English by combining the Greek-derived prefix 'arthro-' with the established term 'rheumatism' (itself adopted into Latin and then English); the compound appears in 18th–19th century medical literature as a descriptive term for joint rheumatic conditions.

Initially, the components suggested 'a flowing condition affecting the joints' (reflecting older humoral ideas); over time it came to be used more broadly as a general term for joint rheumatic disease or joint pain associated with rheumatism.