'PABA-associated' originates from modern scientific English, formed by the acronym 'PABA' (from 'para-aminobenzoic acid') combined with the adjective 'associated' (from Late Latin 'associatus'), meaning 'connected with PABA'.

'PABA' itself is an acronym derived from the chemical name 'para-aminobenzoic acid' (where 'para-' is from Greek meaning 'beside', 'amino' from 'amine', and 'benzoic' from 'benzoin/benzo-'). 'Associated' comes from Latin 'associare' → Late Latin 'associatus' and entered English via Old French/Latin influence; the compound 'PABA-associated' is a modern lexical formation used in scientific and medical contexts.

Initially the elements meant the chemical name 'para-aminobenzoic acid' and 'associated' as 'joined with'; combined in recent scientific usage they specifically denote a relationship to PABA and this core meaning has been stable.