'PABA-linked' originates from the English abbreviation 'PABA', itself derived from the chemical name 'para-aminobenzoic acid' (where 'para-' comes from Greek para- meaning 'beside', 'amino' denotes an amine group, and 'benzoic' relates to benzoic acid), combined with the English past-participle/adjectival word 'linked' meaning 'connected'.

'PABA' was coined as a chemical acronym in 20th-century biochemical literature from the name 'para-aminobenzoic acid'; the compound adjective pattern 'X-linked' (using a noun or acronym plus the past participle 'linked') is a modern English formation used to denote attachment or association, producing terms like 'PABA-linked'.

Initially the components conveyed the literal chemical name and the idea of being 'linked'; over time the compound 'PABA-linked' has been used consistently in scientific contexts to mean 'connected to PABA' with little semantic shift.