'noncoal' originates from Modern English, combining the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non') meaning 'not' with the noun 'coal' (from Old English 'col') meaning 'coal'.

'noncoal' developed from the hyphenated form 'non-coal' used in Modern and Late Modern English; 'coal' itself comes from Old English 'col' and earlier Germanic roots, while the prefix 'non-' was used in Middle English to form negatives.

Initially it simply meant 'not coal' and over time it has retained this basic negative meaning when used to describe materials, fuels, or industries.