'nonanthracitic' originates from Latin (the prefix 'non'), specifically the word 'non' where the prefix/root 'non-' meant 'not', and from Greek/French/English via 'anthracite' (from Greek 'ἄνθραξ' 'anthrax'), where 'anthrax' meant 'coal'.

'nonanthracitic' changed by combining the negative prefix 'non-' with the adjective 'anthracitic'. 'Anthracite' came into English from French 'anthracite', ultimately from Greek 'ἄνθραξ' ('anthrax'); the adjective 'anthracitic' was formed by the addition of the suffix '-ic', and later the prefix 'non-' was attached to form 'nonanthracitic'.

Initially 'anthrax' meant 'coal' and 'anthracite' came to mean a specific hard coal; over time the adjective 'anthracitic' meant 'relating to anthracite', and with the prefix 'non-' it evolved to mean 'not anthracitic' (i.e., lacking the qualities of anthracite).