'aniseed-flavoured' is a compound formed from 'aniseed' and 'flavour' with the adjectival suffix '-ed'. 'aniseed' originates from Old French 'anis', via Latin 'anisum' and Greek 'anison' meaning 'anise'; 'flavour' originates from Old French (Middle English 'flavour') meaning 'taste, scent', with later spelling standardised to 'flavour' in British English.

'aniseed' came into English via Old French 'anis' from Latin 'anisum' and Greek 'anison'; 'flavour' developed in Middle English from Old French terms for taste/odor and later took the adjectival form with '-ed' to form phrases like 'X-flavoured'. The modern compound 'aniseed-flavoured' arose by combining the noun 'aniseed' and the adjective-forming pattern 'X-flavoured'.

Initially the elements referred specifically to the spice 'anise' and to 'taste/odor'; over time the compound came to mean broadly 'having the taste of aniseed' and is used as a descriptive adjective for foods and drinks.