The word 'talisman' entered English in the mid-17th century from French, which borrowed it from Spanish 'talismán'. Its ultimate source is Byzantine Greek 'telesma', meaning 'consecrated object, religious rite', which itself derived from the Greek verb 'telein' ('to complete, perform a rite'), from 'telos' ('end, result, completion'). The semantic journey reflects a shift from a general concept of a 'consecrated object' used in religious ceremonies to the specific modern meaning of a charm or amulet believed to hold magical protective or luck-bringing power. This evolution occurred as the word passed through Arabic and Romance languages, acquiring its association with magic and astrology before reaching English.

This word is a loanword borrowed as a complete unit. Its spelling and structure were not formed by combining recognizable English morphemes.