'ammonium-bearing' is a compound formed from 'ammonium' (a chemical noun) + the English present participle/adjectival 'bearing' meaning 'carrying' or 'containing'. 'Ammonium' ultimately derives from 'sal ammoniac', named after the Egyptian temple of Amun ('Amun' → 'ammoniac'), with the chemical suffix '-ium' from New Latin/Latin usage in element/ion names.

'ammonium' entered chemical nomenclature in the 18th–19th centuries from New Latin/modern chemical usage derived from 'sal ammoniac' (Latin 'sal ammoniacus'). 'Bearing' comes from Old English 'beran' (to carry). The compound adjective 'ammonium-bearing' is formed in modern English by combining the noun with 'bearing' to describe something that carries or contains ammonium.

Initially, 'ammonium' referred specifically to salts associated with 'sal ammoniac' (linked to the temple of Amun). Over time it became the standard name for the NH4+ ion and related compounds; combined with 'bearing' it now means 'containing ammonium'.