'distance-preserving' originates from the compound of the English words 'distance' and 'preserve'. 'distance' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'distantia', where 'dis-' (or 'di-') meant 'apart' and 'stare' meant 'to stand'. 'preserve' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'praeservare', where 'prae-' meant 'before' and 'servare' meant 'to keep.'

'distance' changed from Latin 'distantia' into Old French 'distance' and then into Middle English 'distance'; 'preserve' changed from Latin 'praeservare' to Old French 'preserver' and then into Middle English 'preserven'/'preserve', and the modern compound 'distance-preserving' arose in technical (especially mathematical) usage.

Initially, the components meant 'standing apart' (for 'distance') and 'to keep/guard beforehand' (for 'preserve'); combined, the phrase originally conveyed the idea of 'keeping the separation', and over time it has been specialized in mathematics to mean 'not changing distances (between points).'