'awakenment' originates from English, specifically formed from the verb 'awaken' plus the nominalizing suffix '-ment' (from Old French/Latin origin), where 'awaken' itself comes from Old English elements such as 'a-' (on) and 'wacan/wacian' meaning 'to wake'.

'awakenment' is a Modern English coinage modeled on other '-ment' nouns; the verb 'awaken' evolved from Old English 'awacian'/'awæcnan' (from 'a-' + 'wacan'), while the suffix '-ment' came into English via Old French and ultimately from Latin '-mentum'. Over time, the form 'awakening' became the standard noun, and 'awakenment' remained rare or archaic.

Initially the elements signified 'to cause to wake' or 'the state of being awake'; over time the basic sense has remained the act or process of waking, but the rarer form 'awakenment' has largely been supplanted by 'awakening' in modern usage.