'backhaul' originates from English, specifically the words 'back' and 'haul', where 'back' meant 'the rear; to return' and 'haul' meant 'to pull or carry'.

'backhaul' was formed as a compound in modern English (mid-20th century) from 'back' + 'haul' for shipping contexts; the term was later adopted in telecommunications to describe carrying traffic from remote sites to a central network.

Initially it meant 'to haul back' in a literal, physical sense (moving goods on a return trip); over time it broadened and specialized to include technical senses such as transmitting data or traffic back to a network core.