'benzoic-acetic' originates from the combination of 'benzoic' and 'acetic', where 'benzoic' is derived from 'benzoin', a resin, and 'acetic' is derived from 'acetum', meaning vinegar.

'benzoic' changed from the French word 'benzoïque', and 'acetic' from the Latin word 'aceticus', eventually forming the modern English term 'benzoic-acetic'.

Initially, 'benzoic' referred to substances related to benzoin, and 'acetic' to vinegar-related substances, evolving to describe compounds involving both acids.