'propyne' originates from 'International Scientific Vocabulary', specifically from 'prop-' meaning 'three' (as in three carbon atoms) and '-yne' indicating an alkyne (a hydrocarbon with a triple bond).

'propyne' was formed in the 19th century as chemists standardized names for hydrocarbons, combining 'prop-' and '-yne' to describe a three-carbon alkyne.

Initially, it meant 'a three-carbon alkyne', and this meaning has remained unchanged in modern usage.