'non-anthophyllitic' originates from English, built from the prefix 'non-' (meaning 'not') + 'anthophyllitic', which in turn derives from the mineral name 'anthophyllite' (from Greek 'anthos' meaning 'flower' and 'phyllon' meaning 'leaf', plus the mineral suffix '-ite').

'anthophyllite' was coined in modern mineralogical English (19th century) from Greek elements; the adjective 'anthophyllitic' developed by adding the adjectival suffix '-ic'/'-itic' and the negative prefix 'non-' was later attached to form 'non-anthophyllitic' when describing rocks or assemblages that do not contain anthophyllite.

Originally 'anthophyllitic' meant 'pertaining to or containing anthophyllite'; with the addition of the prefix 'non-' it came to mean 'not pertaining to or not containing anthophyllite'.