'environment-dependent' originates from Modern English, formed from 'environment' (from Old French 'environnement', from the verb 'environer' meaning 'to surround') and 'dependent' (from Latin 'dependēns', the present participle of 'dependēre', where 'de-' meant 'down' and 'pendere' meant 'to hang').

'environment' entered English via Middle English from Old French 'environer' -> 'environment'; 'dependent' came into English via Old French from Latin 'dependēre' and became 'dependent' in Middle English; the compound 'environment-dependent' is a modern English formation combining these elements.

Initially, 'environment' referred to the idea of 'surrounding' and 'dependent' to 'hanging down' or 'being determined by'; over time the compound evolved to mean 'determined by surrounding conditions' (i.e., varying according to environment).