'non-Angolan' is a compound of the negative prefix 'non-' and 'Angolan'. 'Non-' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'non', where 'non' meant 'not'. 'Angolan' comes from the place name 'Angola' plus the English adjectival suffix '-an'; 'Angola' was adopted into Portuguese from a Kimbundu title.

'non-' entered English as a productive negative prefix (from Latin 'non' via Old French or late Latin usage). 'Angola' derives from the Kimbundu term 'ngola' (a title meaning 'king' or ruler), which became the Portuguese place-name 'Angola'; English formed the adjective 'Angolan' by adding '-an'. The compound 'non-Angolan' was formed in English by combining these elements to mean 'not Angolan'.

The compound initially and historically meant 'not Angolan', and this core meaning has remained stable into modern usage.