'American-inspired' originates from modern English, formed by combining 'American' (relating to 'America' + the suffix '-an') and 'inspired' (the past participle of 'inspire'), where 'American' meant 'relating to America' and 'inspire' meant 'to fill with spirit or influence.'

'American' derives from 'America' (named after the explorer Amerigo Vespucci) with the adjectival suffix '-an'; 'inspire' comes from Latin 'inspirare' ('in-' meaning 'into' + 'spirare' meaning 'to breathe'). These elements combined in Modern English as the compound adjective 'American-inspired'.

Originally, Latin 'inspirare' literally meant 'to breathe into'; over time it evolved to mean 'to influence or stimulate creatively'. Consequently, 'American-inspired' came to mean 'influenced by American culture or style' rather than a literal 'breathing in' from America.