'berth-worthy' originates from English, specifically by combining the noun 'berth' and the suffix '-worthy'. 'Berth' comes from Middle English 'berthe' meaning 'a place to lie down or a docking/space', and '-worthy' derives from Old English elements meaning 'having worth' or 'deserving'.

'berth' changed from Middle English 'berthe' and developed into the modern English 'berth'; the adjectival suffix '-worthy' evolved from Old English roots (e.g. 'weorþ') and came to be used productively in Modern English to form compounds like 'trustworthy' and 'newsworthy', leading to coinages such as 'berth-worthy'.

Initially, 'berth' referred to a physical sleeping or docking place and '-worthy' meant 'having worth'; their combination has the specific modern sense 'deserving a place/slot', applied to physical berths or metaphorical berths (e.g. tournament places).