'nonpathological' originates from English, specifically the prefix 'non-' + the adjective 'pathological,' where 'non-' meant 'not' and 'pathological' ultimately comes from Greek 'pathos' meaning 'suffering, disease' and '-logia' meaning 'study' (via Late Latin/Medieval Latin).

'pathological' came from Greek 'pathologikos' through Late Latin 'pathologicus' and Medieval Latin into Middle English as 'pathological'; the negative prefix 'non-' (from Old English/Middle English forms meaning 'not') was later attached to form 'nonpathological' in modern English usage.

Initially, 'pathological' referred to the study of disease; over time it came to describe things caused by or characteristic of disease. 'Nonpathological' developed to denote phenomena not related to disease (i.e., normal or physiological).