'barkbound' originates from English, formed by compounding 'bark' and 'bound'; 'bark' comes from Old English 'beorc' meaning 'birch' or 'bark', and 'bound' comes from Old English 'bindan' past participle 'bound' meaning 'tied' or 'fastened'.

'barkbound' developed from earlier hyphenated forms such as 'bark-bound' attested in Early Modern English and eventually appears as the closed compound 'barkbound' in later usage.

Initially it referred specifically to something physically 'bound' or covered by bark; over time the term has retained this literal sense and remains primarily a descriptive term for objects that still have their bark attached.