'autosymbolic' originates from a modern English formation combining the Greek prefix 'auto-' (from Greek 'autos', meaning 'self') and 'symbolic' (from Greek/Latin roots meaning 'of or relating to a symbol').

'auto-' comes from Greek 'autos' and was productive as a prefix in Late Latin and English; 'symbolic' traces from Greek 'symbolon' to Latin 'symbolum' to French 'symbolique' and then to English 'symbolic'. The two elements were combined in Modern English to form 'autosymbolic'.

Initially formed to mean 'pertaining to or functioning as a symbol of itself'; that core idea of self-referential symbolism has largely been retained in current usage.