'autotoxic' originates from Greek and New Latin, specifically the prefix 'auto-' from Greek 'autos', where 'auto-' meant 'self', and 'toxic' from Greek 'toxikon' (via Latin 'toxicus'), where 'toxikon' meant 'poison'.

'autotoxic' developed as a compound of Greek 'autos' + Latin/Greek-derived 'toxicus' (used in New Latin formations like 'autotoxicus') and eventually entered modern English as 'autotoxic'.

Initially formed to describe substances or effects relating to 'self' and 'poison', it has retained that specialized sense and now specifically denotes substances or effects that are toxic to the organism that produced them.