'non-Appalachian' originates from English, combining the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non' meaning 'not') with 'Appalachian' (relating to 'Appalachia').

'Appalachian' ultimately derives from the name 'Apalachee' (a southeastern Native American people) recorded by Spanish explorers; the place name 'Appalachia' and the adjective 'Appalachian' developed in English from these earlier forms, and the productive English prefix 'non-' was later attached to form 'non-Appalachian'.

Initially, 'Appalachian' referred to the people or the geographic features named from 'Apalachee'; over time it came to denote the broader region and cultural identity, and 'non-Appalachian' now simply denotes 'not of that region or culture'.