'nonhalophytic' originates from Modern English, specifically by combining the negative prefix 'non-' and the adjective 'halophytic'; 'non-' meant 'not' and 'halophytic' relates to 'halophyte' (from Greek roots meaning 'salt' + 'plant').

'halophytic' derives from New Latin 'halophyticus', which in turn comes from Greek elements 'halos' (ἅλς) meaning 'salt' and 'phyton' (φυτόν) meaning 'plant'; 'non-' (a post-classical negative prefix) was attached in Modern English to form 'nonhalophytic'.

Initially the components referred simply to 'salt' and 'plant'; the combined modern adjective came to mean 'not adapted to saline conditions' when the negative prefix 'non-' was applied to 'halophytic'.