'mycota' originates from New Latin (used in biological taxonomy), formed from Greek 'mykēs' (μύκης) meaning 'fungus' combined with the taxonomic suffix '-ota'.

'mykēs' (Greek for 'fungus') was Latinized in various forms (e.g. 'myces'), and in modern biological nomenclature it was adapted into New Latin as 'Mycota' to denote fungal groups.

Initially it referred generally to 'a fungus' in Greek; over time it evolved into a formal taxonomic term meaning 'the group (kingdom or phylum) of fungi' in modern biology.