'ophthalmic' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'ophthalmos', where the root 'ophthalmo-' meant 'eye', combined with the adjectival suffix '-ic' (via Late Latin/medical Latin).

'ophthalmos' passed into Late Latin/medical Latin as 'ophthalmicus' and then into English (via medieval or modern scholarly Latin) as 'ophthalmic'.

Initially it meant 'pertaining to the eye', and over time it has retained this specialized medical meaning of 'relating to the eye or eye treatment'.