'foreign-backed' is a compound of the English words 'foreign' and 'backed'. 'foreign' ultimately originates from Old French 'forain' and Latin 'foris' meaning 'outside', while 'backed' is the past participle of 'back', from Old English 'bæc' meaning 'rear' or 'support'.

'foreign' evolved from Latin 'foris' → Old French 'forain' → Middle English 'forain/foren' → modern English 'foreign'; 'backed' comes from Old English 'bæc' → Middle English 'bak(k)' with past participle formed by '-ed', yielding 'backed'. The compound 'foreign-backed' was formed in modern English by combining the adjective 'foreign' with the past-participle adjective 'backed'.

Originally, 'foreign' meant 'from outside' and 'backed' meant 'given support from behind'; together in modern usage they specifically indicate 'supported or financed by sources outside the country'.