## Etymology
From in- ('not') + elastic, from New Latin elasticus, from Late Greek elastikos ('propulsive'), from Greek elaunein ('to drive, set in motion').

## AI Etymology
inelastic comes from in- ('not') + elastic, from New Latin elasticus, from Late Greek elastikos ('propulsive'), from Greek elaunein ('to drive, set in motion'). Morphologically, the prefixed shape matters: the initial element belongs to the recorded formation and helps explain the modern form's surface analysis. In present English, the adjective sense is "not flexible, or not changing much in response to change", so the historical development ends in a clearly identifiable modern dictionary use. The same base also appears in related forms such as elastic and elasticity, and in derivatives such as inelastically and inelasticity. Its semantic neighborhood includes rigid, stiff, inflexible, and unyielding, which helps locate the modern sense without adding a separate etymological claim. The named historical forms include Ancient Greek elastikos and Ancient Greek elaunein.

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