'antennae-bearer' is a modern compound formed from 'antennae' + 'bearer'. 'antennae' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'antenna', where the original sense was 'yard-arm' or 'sail yard'; 'bearer' originates from Old English 'beran', where the root meant 'to carry'.

'antennae' entered English from Latin 'antenna' (originally 'yard-arm') via nautical and later scientific usage; in the 19th century the term was extended to denote the paired sensory appendages of insects. 'bearer' evolved from Old English 'beran' into Middle English forms and the modern noun 'bearer'. The compounded form 'antennae-bearer' is a descriptive, modern coinage combining these elements.

Initially, 'antenna' meant 'yard-arm' (a nautical spar), but over time it was applied (19th century) to the sensory appendages of insects; 'bearer' has long meant 'one who carries', so the compound now means 'one that carries antennae'.