'anisoyl-containing' is a compound of 'anisoyl' and 'containing'. 'anisoyl' ultimately derives from the word 'anise' (Latin 'anisum', Greek 'anison') with the chemical suffix '-oyl' denoting an acyl radical; 'containing' comes from the verb 'contain'.

'anisoyl' developed as a chemical derivative name from 'anise' (via New Latin/organic-chemistry naming conventions) combined with the suffix '-oyl' (used in organic chemistry to indicate an acyl group). 'containing' comes through Middle English and Old French from Latin 'continēre' (con- 'together' + tenēre 'to hold'), producing the modern English verb 'contain' and the present participle 'containing'. The compound adjective formed by joining these elements produced 'anisoyl-containing'.

Initially the elements indicated 'derived from anise' and 'to hold or include'; combined in modern chemical nomenclature they specifically denote a molecule that 'includes an anisoyl group' and this technical meaning is stable in contemporary usage.