'city-dwelling' originates from the combination of 'city' and 'dwelling', where 'city' refers to an urban area and 'dwelling' refers to a place of residence.

'City-dwelling' evolved from the Old English word 'dwellan', meaning 'to lead astray' or 'hinder', and the Latin 'civitas', meaning 'city'.

Initially, 'dwelling' meant 'to lead astray', but over time it evolved to mean 'reside', and combined with 'city', it now refers to living in an urban area.