'ethylisation' originates from modern chemical formation combining 'ethyl' and the suffix '-isation' (from French/Latin), where 'ethyl' referred to the ethyl radical and '-isation' meant 'the process or result of making/doing'.

'Ethyl' was coined in the 19th century (from French 'éthyle'), ultimately deriving from Greek 'aithēr' (ᾱἰθήρ, 'ether' or 'upper air') via Latin/French 'ether'/'éther'; the noun-forming suffix '-isation' entered English from French/Latin usage to form process nouns, producing 'ethylisation' as a modern chemical term.

Initially related to 'ether' and the naming of the ethyl radical, the formation later came to denote specifically the process of adding an ethyl group; today it means 'the process/result of ethylation'.