'campylotropous' originates from New Latin and ultimately from Ancient Greek, specifically from Greek 'kampylos' meaning 'bent' and 'tropos' meaning 'turning' (with the adjectival suffix '-ous').

'campylotropous' was formed in New Latin/Latinized scientific usage from Greek roots 'kampylos' + 'tropos' and was adopted into botanical English to describe ovule orientation; it moved from classical Greek roots into New Latin formation and then into modern botanical terminology.

Initially built from roots meaning 'bent' and 'turned', the term evolved into a technical botanical adjective meaning 'having a curved ovule with the micropyle near the funiculus'.