'ethylize' originates from English, specifically from the word 'ethyl' (from French 'éthyle', from Greek 'aithēr' meaning 'upper air') and the suffix '-ize', where '-ize' means 'to make or become'.

'ethylize' was formed in English by combining 'ethyl' with the productive verb-forming suffix '-ize', and eventually became the modern English word 'ethylize'.

Initially, it meant 'to treat with ethyl or convert into an ethyl compound', and this meaning has remained the same in modern usage.