'autodrainage' originates from Greek and Old French, specifically the prefix 'auto-' from the Greek word 'autos', where 'autos' meant 'self', and 'drainage' from Old French 'drainer' meaning 'to draw off liquid'.

'autodrainage' developed as a modern English compound by combining the prefix 'auto-' and the noun 'drainage'; it became used in medical and physiotherapy contexts in the 20th century.

Initially the components simply meant 'self' + 'the act of drawing off fluid' (a literal sense); over time the compound acquired the specialized medical meaning of a self-applied technique for clearing airway secretions.