'bronchoprotective' originates from modern English as a compound: the combining form 'broncho-' comes from Greek 'brónkhos' meaning 'windpipe' (via Latin 'bronchus'), and 'protective' derives from Latin 'protegere' (via Old French/Latin roots) where 'pro-' meant 'in front' and 'tegere' meant 'to cover.'

'bronchoprotective' was formed in 20th-century medical English by combining the Greek-derived combining form 'broncho-' (from Greek 'brónkhos' → Latin 'bronchus' → English 'bronch- / broncho-') with the adjective 'protective' (from Latin 'protegere'), producing a term used to describe agents or properties that protect the bronchi.

Initially, compounds using 'broncho-' described parts of the respiratory tract (the bronchi); over time, 'bronchoprotective' came to specifically denote a protective pharmacologic or physiologic effect on the bronchi. The core sense—protection of the bronchi—has been retained but has been extended to name classes of drugs or measurable protective effects.