'lymphophobic' originates from a combination of elements from Latin and Greek: 'lymph-' ultimately from Latin 'lympha' meaning 'water' (later used for the bodily fluid 'lymph'), and Greek 'phobos' meaning 'fear'.

'lympha' (Latin) gave rise to the English element 'lymph' (referring to the bodily fluid and lymphatic system); combined with the Greek-derived suffix '-phobic' (from 'phobos') in Modern English to form 'lymphophobic'.

Initially the root 'lymph-' referred simply to 'clear water' and later the bodily fluid 'lymph'; when combined with '-phobic' the compound came to mean 'having a fear of lymph' or 'relating to lymphophobia' in modern usage.