'endoscopic' originates from Greek elements: 'endon' meaning 'within' and 'skopein' meaning 'to look' or 'to examine'.

'endoscopic' developed from the noun 'endoscope,' which entered modern medical usage in the 19th century (via New Latin/French from Greek elements). The adjective form 'endoscopic' was formed in English in the late 19th to early 20th century.

Initially it denoted 'relating to seeing or examining the inside (of the body)'; over time it has come to specifically mean 'relating to procedures or tools that examine internal cavities using an endoscope.'