'frost-hardy' originates from the combination of 'frost' and 'hardy', where 'frost' refers to freezing temperatures and 'hardy' means capable of enduring difficult conditions.

'Frost-hardy' evolved from the Old English word 'forst' and the Middle English word 'hardi', eventually forming the modern English term 'frost-hardy'.

Initially, it meant 'capable of enduring frost', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.