'non-transparency' originates from the prefix 'non-' meaning 'not' and the word 'transparency', which comes from Latin 'transparens', meaning 'shining through'.

'transparens' transformed into the Old French word 'transparence', and eventually became the modern English word 'transparency'. The prefix 'non-' was added to form 'non-transparency'.

Initially, 'transparency' meant 'allowing light to pass through', but over time, it evolved to also mean 'openness and accountability'. 'Non-transparency' retains the opposite meaning.