'mechanically-skilled' originates from the combination of 'mechanical' and 'skilled', where 'mechanical' comes from the Latin word 'mechanicus', meaning 'of or pertaining to machines', and 'skilled' from the Old English 'scele', meaning 'ability or knowledge'.

'mechanical' changed from the Latin 'mechanicus' to the Old French 'mecanique', and eventually became the modern English word 'mechanical'. 'Skilled' evolved from the Old English 'scele' to the Middle English 'skil', and eventually became 'skilled'.

Initially, 'mechanical' meant 'pertaining to machines', and 'skilled' meant 'having ability'. Over time, 'mechanically-skilled' evolved to mean 'having proficiency in mechanical tasks'.