'nonliving' originates from the prefix 'non-' meaning 'not' and the word 'living', which comes from Old English 'libban', meaning 'to live'.

'libban' transformed into the Middle English word 'liven', and eventually became the modern English word 'living'.

Initially, 'living' meant 'having life', and 'nonliving' evolved to mean 'not having life'.