'format-specific' is a compound word formed from 'format' and 'specific'. 'Format' originates from the Latin word 'formatus', meaning 'a shape or form', and 'specific' comes from the Latin 'specificus', meaning 'pertaining to a species or kind'.

'Format' evolved from the Latin 'formatus' through Old French 'formate', while 'specific' evolved from Latin 'specificus' through Middle English 'specifik'.

Initially, 'format' referred to a physical shape or arrangement, while 'specific' meant 'pertaining to a species'. Together, they now refer to something designed for a particular format.