'non-coal' originates from the English combination of the prefix 'non-' and the noun 'coal'. 'non-' ultimately comes from Latin 'non' meaning 'not', while 'coal' comes from Old English 'col' meaning 'coal' or 'charcoal'.

'coal' developed from Old English 'col' to Middle English 'cole' and finally to modern English 'coal'. The negative prefix 'non-' was adopted into English from Latin through Old French and Late Latin usage; combining 'non-' with nouns to form compounds (e.g. non-coal) is a modern English formation.

Initially, the elements meant 'not' (non-) and 'coal' (the fuel); the compound 'non-coal' has kept the straightforward meaning 'not coal' and is used primarily as a descriptive modifier in contexts like energy and materials.