'nonphilosopher' originates from English compounding of the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non', meaning 'not') and 'philosopher' (from Greek 'philosophos', meaning 'lover of wisdom').

'philosopher' comes from Greek 'philosophos' -> Latin 'philosophus' -> Middle English 'philosopher'. The negative prefix 'non-' is from Latin 'non' and has been used in English since Middle English/Early Modern English to form compounds; 'nonphilosopher' is a modern English compound formed by adding 'non-' to 'philosopher'.

Originally 'philosophos' meant 'lover of wisdom'; over time 'philosopher' came to mean a person who studies, teaches, or practices philosophy. 'Nonphilosopher' simply applies the negative prefix to denote someone who is not a philosopher; the meaning has remained a literal negation rather than developing a specialized figurative sense.