'animal-mediated' originates from modern English, formed by combining the noun 'animal' (ultimately from Latin 'animalis', where 'anima' meant 'breath' or 'soul') and the past participle 'mediated' of 'mediate' (ultimately from Latin 'medius', where 'medius' meant 'middle').

'animal' passed into English via Old French from Latin 'animalis' and entered Middle English as 'animal'; 'mediate' comes from Latin 'mediatus' (from 'medius') via Old French/Medieval Latin into Middle English, yielding the modern verb 'mediate' and its past participle 'mediated', which combines with 'animal' to form the compound adjective.

Initially, 'mediate' meant 'to be in the middle' or 'to act as an intermediary'; over time it gained the sense 'to act through or by means of'. Consequently, 'animal-mediated' has come to mean 'caused or carried by animals'.