'abrasion-prone' originates from Modern English, specifically the compound of the noun 'abrasion' and the adjective 'prone', where 'abrasion' ultimately comes from Latin 'abrasiō' (from 'abradere') meaning 'a scraping away' and 'prone' comes from Latin 'pronus' meaning 'leaning forward' or 'inclined'.

'abrasion' changed from Latin 'abrasiō' (from the verb 'abradere') through Old French and Middle English into the modern English noun 'abrasion'; 'prone' changed from Latin 'pronus' through Old French and Middle English into 'prone'; the compound 'abrasion-prone' was formed in Modern English by combining these elements to describe susceptibility to scraping or wear.

Initially, 'abrasion' meant 'a scraping away' and 'prone' meant 'inclined' (literally bent forward); over time the compound evolved to mean 'inclined or likely to undergo scraping or wear', i.e. 'liable to abrasion'.