'autosymbolical' originates from Modern English as a compound of the Greek combining form 'auto-' (from Greek 'autos', meaning 'self') and 'symbolical' (from Late Latin 'symbolicus', from Greek 'symbolon', meaning 'token' or 'sign').

'symbolical' comes from Greek 'symbolon' → Late Latin 'symbolicus' → Old French/Medieval Latin forms → Middle English 'symbolical'. The prefix 'auto-' derives from Greek 'autos' and entered English as a combining form in later stages of the language; the compound 'autosymbolical' was formed in Modern English by combining these elements.

Originally the parts meant 'self' + 'sign/token'; over time, the compound has come to mean specifically 'symbolic in a way that refers to itself' (i.e., self-symbolic or self-referentially symbolic).