'polyamide' originates from Greek and modern chemical nomenclature: the prefix 'poly-' comes from Greek 'polus' meaning 'many', and 'amide' comes from the chemical term 'amide' (from French/modern Latin roots ultimately related to 'ammonia').

'polyamide' was formed in modern scientific English by combining the Greek-derived prefix 'poly-' with the established chemical noun 'amide'. The term became common in the 20th century with the development and commercialization of synthetic polyamides such as nylon.

Initially, the components signified simply 'many' + 'amide' (i.e., molecules with multiple amide groups); over time it came to denote specifically high-molecular-weight polymers with repeating amide linkages (synthetic fibers like nylon) and, in a broader biochemical context, polypeptides/proteins.