'lane-marked' originates from Modern English, formed by combining the noun 'lane' and the past participle 'marked' (from the verb 'mark'). 'lane' referred to a narrow way or track, and 'mark' meant to make a sign or boundary.

'lane' comes from Old English words for a narrow way or track (e.g. Old English 'lān'/'lāne') and appeared in Middle English as 'lane'; 'mark' derives from Old English 'mearc' (boundary, sign) and developed into Middle English 'mark'/'marken', with 'marked' as its past participle. The compound 'lane-marked' developed in Modern English by straightforward combination of these elements to describe roads where lanes are marked.

Initially, the elements referred separately to a 'path' ('lane') and a 'sign/boundary' ('mark'); over time the compound came to be used literally for surfaces 'having lanes indicated by markings' and has retained this literal sense.