'non-intellectual' originates from the prefix 'non-' meaning 'not' and the word 'intellectual' which comes from Latin 'intellectus', meaning 'understanding'.

'Intellectus' transformed into the Old French word 'intellectuel', and eventually became the modern English word 'intellectual'.

Initially, 'intellectual' meant 'pertaining to the understanding', and 'non-intellectual' evolved to mean 'not involving understanding'.