Acronym probably entered English from German Akronym or Akronymon. Its Greek-derived elements point to the beginnings of words and to a name.
The German borrowing is marked probable. Usage sometimes extends acronym to initialisms pronounced letter by letter.
Sources
- Merriam-Webster: acronym
The German borrowing is probable; acr- and -onym are its elements, and broader usage includes initialisms.
- Merriam-Webster: acr-
Acr- includes beginning, end and tip, from Greek akros, at the farthest extreme or topmost.
- Merriam-Webster: -onym
-Onym means name or word and derives from Greek -ōnymon and onyma.
- Online Etymology Dictionary: pseudonym
Also built on Greek *onyma* "name": pseudonym (pseudēs "false" + onyma)
- Duden · Akronym
Meanings of the older forms on the word path.