'non-pragmatic' is formed from the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non', meaning 'not') combined with 'pragmatic', which ultimately derives from Greek 'pragmatikos' from 'pragma' meaning 'deed, thing'.

'pragmatic' passed from Greek 'pragmatikos' into Late Latin as 'pragmaticus', into Old French as 'pragmatique', then into Middle English as 'pragmatic'; the modern compound 'non-pragmatic' arose by prefixing English 'non-' to 'pragmatic' to indicate negation.

Originally 'pragmatic' meant 'concerned with action or practical affairs'; over time it came to mean 'practical' or 'realistic' in common English, and in linguistics to mean 'relating to pragmatics'; 'non-pragmatic' therefore now denotes 'not practical' or 'not relating to pragmatics' depending on context.