'land-tied' originates from the combination of 'land' and 'tied', where 'land' refers to the earth's surface not covered by water, and 'tied' means bound or connected.

'land-tied' evolved from the Old English word 'land' and the Middle English word 'tied', eventually forming the modern English compound adjective 'land-tied'.

Initially, it meant 'bound to the land', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.