'community-maintained' originates from the combination of 'community' and 'maintained', where 'community' refers to a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common, and 'maintained' means kept in good condition.

The term 'community-maintained' evolved from the concept of community involvement in upkeep and maintenance, emphasizing collective responsibility.

Initially, it meant 'maintained by a community', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.