'hyphenate' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'hyphén (ὑφέν)', where 'hyphén' meant 'a single strip or bond (used to join words)'.

'hyphenate' entered English via Medieval Latin/French influence: Greek 'hyphén' passed into Late Latin/Old French as 'hyphen', and the English verb was formed with the suffix '-ate' to create 'hyphenate' and then adjective/noun derivatives such as 'hyphenated'.

Initially, the root referred to the joining mark (a bond or strip); over time it came to mean 'to join with a hyphen' and the adjective 'hyphenated' came to describe words or names joined by that mark.