'color-related' originates from an English compound of 'color' (from Latin, specifically the word 'color', via Old French 'colour') and 'related' (from Latin 'relatus', the past participle of 'referre').

'color' entered English via Old French 'colour' and Middle English 'colour' and later took the American spelling 'color'; 'related' comes from Latin 'relatus' > Old French/Medieval Latin forms > Middle English 'related', and these elements combined to form the modern compound 'color-related'.

Initially, 'color' referred to the quality or appearance produced by light ('color') and 'related' was the past participle of a verb meaning 'brought back' in Latin; together as a modern compound they evolved to mean 'having a relation to color'.