'arthritis-prone' is a modern English compound combining 'arthritis' and 'prone'. 'arthritis' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'arthron', where 'arthr-' meant 'joint' and the suffix '-itis' meant 'inflammation'. 'prone' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'pronus', where 'pronus' meant 'bent forward'.

'arthritis' was formed in New Latin from Greek elements ('arthron' + '-itis') and entered scientific/medical English by the 17th–18th century; 'prone' came from Latin 'pronus' into Old French/Anglo-Norman and then Middle English as 'prone'. The modern compound 'arthritis-prone' was created in contemporary English by combining the medical noun with the adjective 'prone'.

Initially, 'arthritis' meant 'inflammation of the joints' (a medical term), and this basic meaning has been retained; 'prone' originally meant 'bent forward' in Latin but later broadened in English to mean 'likely to' or 'susceptible to', so 'arthritis-prone' now means 'likely to develop arthritis'.