'nonawareness' originates from English, specifically the prefix 'non-' and the noun 'awareness'. The prefix 'non-' ultimately comes from Latin 'non' meaning 'not', while 'awareness' is formed from 'aware' + the noun-forming suffix '-ness'.

'aware' comes from Old English 'gewær' (meaning 'wary, cautious'), which developed into Middle English forms like 'ware'/'aware' and later Modern English 'aware'. The suffix '-ness' (Old English '-nes(s)') formed 'awareness'. The negative prefix 'non-' was borrowed from Latin 'non' (via Old French/Medieval usage) and combined with 'awareness' in Modern English to create 'nonawareness'.

Initially 'aware' meant 'wary' or 'cautious' in Old English; over time it shifted to mean 'having perception or knowledge of something', giving rise to 'awareness' as 'the state of being aware'. 'Nonawareness' simply denotes the negation of that modern sense: 'not being aware'.