'non-cedar' is a compound of the prefix 'non-' and the noun 'cedar'. 'non-' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'non', where 'non' meant 'not'. 'cedar' originates from Latin 'cedrus' (via Old French 'cedre') and ultimately from Greek 'kédros'.

'cedar' changed from Greek 'kédros' to Latin 'cedrus', then to Old French 'cedre' and entered Middle English as 'ceder/cedar', eventually becoming the modern English 'cedar'. The prefix 'non-' was used in Late Latin and Old French and was adopted into Middle English as a productive prefix meaning 'not'. The compound 'non-cedar' is a modern descriptive formation using that prefix.

Initially the parts meant 'not' (non-) and 'cedar' (the tree/wood); combined they have retained their literal meaning of 'not cedar' with no substantial semantic shift.