'mineral-hosted' originates from modern English as a compound of 'mineral' and 'hosted'. 'mineral' originates from Medieval Latin 'minerale', where 'minera' meant 'mine' or 'ore', and 'hosted' is the past participle of 'host' (verb), which ultimately traces to Old French 'hoster' and Latin 'hospes' (meaning 'guest/host').

'mineral' changed from Medieval Latin 'minerale' to Middle English 'minerall' and eventually became the modern English word 'mineral'. 'host' (verb) evolved from Old French 'hoster' into Middle English 'hosten', with the past participle form 'hosted' becoming standard in Modern English; the compound 'mineral-hosted' is a recent technical formation.

Initially, 'mineral' referred to things relating to mines or ores and 'host' meant 'to receive or contain (a guest or substance)'; combined as 'mineral-hosted' the term evolved to mean specifically 'contained in or associated with a mineral', particularly in geological and mining contexts.