'asyndeton' originates from Ancient Greek, specifically the word 'ἄσυνδέτον' (ásundeton), where the prefix 'a-' meant 'not' and 'sundéton' (from 'sundein') related to 'bound together'.

'asyndeton' entered English via Latin and scholarly usage of Greek terms; the Greek 'ἄσυνδέτον' passed into New Latin/late scholarly Latin and thence into English as 'asyndeton', with the plural sometimes formed in Greek style as 'asyndeta'.

Initially it meant 'not bound together' (literally 'unconnected'); over time it came to denote the rhetorical practice of leaving coordinate elements unjoined by conjunctions (the modern meaning).