The word 'technical' originates from the Greek 'tekhnē', which broadly signified art, craft, or systematic skill. This root passed into Latin as 'technicus' and later into English via the Medieval Latin 'technicus' or Late Latin 'technica'. The suffix '-ical', a compound of '-ic' and '-al', was added to form an adjective meaning 'pertaining to the arts'. Over time, as the arts became more systematized and associated with specialized methods, the meaning evolved from a general sense of 'artistic skill' to its modern focus on the specialized, practical skills and knowledge associated with science, engineering, and machinery.

Structure: techn (art, craft) + ical (adjective suffix) 'techn' is from Greek 'tekhnē', meaning art, craft, or skill. 'ical' is an English adjectival suffix derived from Latin '-icalis', used to form adjectives meaning 'of or pertaining to'.