'nonrepresentational' originates from the prefix 'non-' meaning 'not' and the word 'representational,' which comes from Latin 'repraesentare,' meaning 'to show or exhibit.'

'Repraesentare' transformed into the English word 'represent' and eventually became 'representational' with the addition of the suffix '-al,' leading to the modern term 'nonrepresentational.'

Initially, it meant 'not showing or depicting,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.