'ability-based' originates from the combination of 'ability' and the suffix '-based', where 'ability' refers to the capacity to do something and '-based' indicates a foundation or basis.

'Ability' comes from the Latin word 'habilitas', meaning 'aptitude' or 'skill', and '-based' is derived from the Old English 'bæst', meaning 'foundation'.

Initially, it meant 'founded on one's skills or capacities', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.