'air-permeable' originates from Modern English, specifically as a compound of the noun 'air' and the adjective 'permeable', where 'air' meant 'the mixture of gases surrounding the earth' and 'permeable' meant 'able to be passed through'.

'permeable' changed from Middle English/Old French forms (Old French 'perméable') which derived from Latin 'permeabilis' (from 'per-' + 'meare'/'meare' meaning 'to pass' or 'to go'), and eventually combined with Old English 'ær'/'air' to form the compound 'air-permeable' in Modern English.

Initially, the root meant 'able to be passed through' in a general sense; over time it has been applied specifically to materials and substances, giving the modern sense 'allowing air to pass through'.