paramedical (adj.)

"pertaining or relating to the art or profession of healing or those who practice it," 1640s, from French médical, from Late Latin medicalis "of a physician," from Latin medicus "physician, surgeon, medical man" (n.); "healing, medicinal" (adj.), from medeor "to cure, heal," originally "know the best course for," from an early specialization of PIE root *med- "take appropriate measures" (source also of Avestan vi-mad- "physician"). "The meaning of medeor is based on a semantic shift from 'measure' to 'distribute a cure, heal'" [de Vaan]. The earlier adjective in English in this sense was medicinal. Related: Medically.

"medical technician," 1970, back-formation from paramedical. The meaning "medical corpsman who parachutes" is 1951 from parachute + medic.

before vowels, par-, word-forming element of Greek origin, "alongside, beyond; altered; contrary; irregular, abnormal," from Greek para- from para (prep.) "beside, near; issuing from; against, contrary to" (from PIE *prea, from root *per- (1) "forward," hence "toward, near; against").

It is cognate with Old English for- "off, away." Originally in English in Greek-derived words; it has been active in English mostly in scientific and technical words, but until recently was not usually regarded as a naturalized formative element in English.