'non-corrosive' originates from the prefix 'non-' meaning 'not' and the word 'corrosive' from Latin 'corrosivus', where 'corrodere' meant 'to gnaw through'.

'corrosivus' transformed into the French word 'corrosif', and eventually became the modern English word 'corrosive'. The prefix 'non-' was added to form 'non-corrosive'.

Initially, 'corrosive' meant 'to gnaw through', but 'non-corrosive' evolved to mean 'not causing damage by chemical action'.