'teetotaler' originates from English, specifically the word 'teetotal,' where 'tee-' was an emphatic form of 'total,' meaning 'complete abstinence from alcohol.'

'teetotal' was coined in the 19th century as a form of emphasis on 'total abstinence,' and eventually became the modern English word 'teetotaler.'

Initially, it meant 'complete abstinence from alcohol,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.