'backward-referring' originates from English as a compound of 'backward' and the present participle 'referring'. 'backward' ultimately traces to Old English 'bæcweard', where 'bæc' meant 'back' and '-weard' meant 'turned toward'; 'referring' descends from Latin 'referre', where 're-' meant 'back' and 'ferre' meant 'to carry.'

'backward' changed from Old English 'bæcweard' to Middle English 'bakward' and eventually modern English 'backward'. 'refer' came from Latin 'referre' to Old French forms and Middle English 'referen' before giving the modern verb 'refer'; the present participle 'referring' is formed in English, and the compound 'backward-referring' is a modern descriptive formation combining the two.

Initially, elements meant 'toward the back' (for 'backward') and 'to carry back' (for 'referre'); over time 'refer' came to mean 'to mention or point to', and 'backward' in compounds developed the sense of 'toward an earlier part', yielding the current compound meaning 'referring back (to something earlier)'.