'self-extinguishing' originates from English, combining the prefix 'self-' (Old English 'self') and the verb 'extinguish', which ultimately derives from Latin 'extinguere' where 'ex-' meant 'out' and 'stinguere' meant 'to quench'.

'extinguish' changed from Latin 'extinguere' into Old French forms such as 'estindre'/'estincere' and was adopted into Middle English as 'extinguish', later forming compounds like 'self-extinguishing'.

Initially the Latin root meant 'to quench or put out'; over time the compound came to mean 'capable of putting itself out' (i.e., stopping burning without external help).