'asyla' originates from Ancient Greek, specifically the word 'ἀσύλα' (asyla), the plural of 'ἄσυλον' (asylon), meaning 'refuges' or 'inviolable places'.

'asyla' changed from the Ancient Greek plural 'ἀσύλα', passed into Latin and Late Latin as 'asylum' (singular) and through Old French 'asile' into Middle English 'asile'/'asylum', eventually resulting in modern English 'asylum' with plural forms such as 'asylums' and the rare classical plural 'asyla'.

Initially it meant 'places of refuge or inviolable sanctuaries', and over time it evolved into the modern sense of 'institutions or places offering protection' and the broader legal/political sense of 'protection granted to refugees'.