'bendable-shelled' is a compound word formed from 'bendable' and 'shelled'. 'Bendable' originates from the verb 'bend', which comes from Old English 'bendan', meaning 'to curve or flex'. 'Shelled' is derived from the noun 'shell', which comes from Old English 'scell', meaning 'a hard outer covering'.

'Bendable' evolved from the Old English 'bendan', while 'shelled' evolved from 'scell'. The combination of these words into 'bendable-shelled' is a modern English formation.

Initially, 'bendable' meant 'capable of being bent', and 'shelled' referred to having a shell. The combination retains these meanings in the context of describing a shell that can be bent.