'indigo-associated' originates from English, specifically a compound of 'indigo' and 'associated'. 'indigo' ultimately comes from Latin 'indicum' (via Greek 'indikón'), where 'indicum' meant 'of India' and earlier from Sanskrit 'nīla' meaning 'dark blue'. 'associated' is the past participle of Latin 'associare', where 'ad-' meant 'toward' and 'socius' meant 'companion'.

'indigo' entered English via Medieval Latin and Old French (e.g. Latin 'indicum' and Greek 'indikón'), shifting in sense from 'of India' to the blue dye/color; 'associated' developed from Latin 'associare' into Middle English forms such as 'associate(d)'; in Modern English the two elements have been combined as the descriptive compound adjective 'indigo-associated'.

Initially, 'indigo' primarily indicated geographic origin ('of India') and later came to denote the blue dye and color; 'associated' originally meant 'joined or allied' and retained that sense. Together the compound now means 'related to or linked with the color or dye indigo.'