'nonporphyritic' originates from English, specifically the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non') meaning 'not' combined with 'porphyritic', which originates from Greek, specifically the word 'porphýra' where 'porphýra' meant 'purple'.

'nonporphyritic' developed in modern geological English by adding the negative prefix 'non-' to 'porphyritic'; 'porphyritic' entered scientific English from Late Latin and Greek ('porphyriticus'/'porphýra') referring to porphyry and its purple color, later coming to denote a rock texture with conspicuous large crystals.

Initially, related forms referred to purple stone or porphyry; over time 'porphyritic' came to mean having a texture with conspicuous large crystals, and 'nonporphyritic' consequently came to mean 'not having that texture' (lacking large crystals).