'nonelectrical' is formed in Modern English from the negative prefix 'non-' and the adjective 'electrical'. 'non-' ultimately comes from Latin 'non' meaning 'not', and 'electrical' derives from 'electric' + suffix '-al'.

'electric' comes from Greek 'ēlektron' (ἤλεκτρον) meaning 'amber', passed into Latin as 'electrum', then into modern scientific usage (17th–18th centuries) as 'electricus' and English 'electric', later forming the adjective 'electrical'; 'non-' has long been used in English as a productive prefix to create negatives, producing 'nonelectrical'.

Originally related to 'amber' and the static effects observed from it, the root developed into terms for electrical phenomena and devices; 'electrical' came to mean 'relating to electricity', and 'nonelectrical' now means 'not related to or powered by electricity'.