'content-centred' originates from modern English as a compound of 'content' + 'centre' + '-ed', where 'content' originally referred to 'that which is contained; subject matter' and 'centre' meant 'middle, focal point'.

'content' comes from Latin 'contentus' (past participle of 'continēre', 'to contain') via Old French 'contenu' and Middle English; 'centre' comes from Late Latin 'centrum' via Old French and Middle English. The compound 'content-centred' is a modern formation using these established elements to mean 'having the centre or focus on content'.

Initially, 'content' denoted what is contained and 'centre' denoted a middle point; over time their combination came to mean 'having the primary focus at the content (subject matter)' rather than a literal physical centre.