'autarkic' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'autarkeia,' where 'auto-' meant 'self' and 'arkein' meant 'to suffice.'

'autarkeia' transformed into the German word 'Autarkie,' and eventually became the modern English word 'autarky' and its adjective form 'autarkic.'

Initially, it meant 'self-sufficiency,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.