'chunk' originates from English, specifically the word 'chunk', where the root was likely imitative of a heavy impact sound meaning 'a lump or thick piece'.

'chunk' appeared in English in the late 17th century meaning 'thick piece' or 'lump'; the verbal sense 'to cut or break into chunks' developed later, and the modern form 'chunking' arose by adding the noun/gerund-forming suffix '-ing' to the verb.

Initially, it meant 'a thick piece or lump'; over time it extended to the verbal sense 'to divide into lumps' and more abstractly to 'grouping elements into meaningful units' in fields like psychology and computing.