'asafetida' originates from New Latin, specifically the phrase 'asa foetida', where 'asa' is a borrowing from Persian/Arabic referring to a resin and Latin 'foetida' meant 'foul-smelling'.

'asafetida' changed from the Medieval Latin compound 'asa foetida' (literally 'foul-smelling asa') and was adopted into English as 'asafetida' (with variant spellings such as 'asafoetida').

Initially it meant 'a foul-smelling resin,' and over time the meaning narrowed to refer specifically to the resin used as a spice and traditional remedy.