'ganglion-free' originates from the Greek word 'ganglion', meaning 'knot' or 'swelling', combined with the English word 'free', indicating absence.

'Ganglion' was adopted into English from Greek, and 'free' has been used in English since Old English times to denote absence or lack.

Initially, 'ganglion' referred to a 'knot' or 'swelling', but in medical terms, it evolved to mean a 'nerve cell cluster'. 'Free' has consistently meant 'without' or 'lacking'.