'mitochondria-linked' originates from Modern English, specifically the compound of 'mitochondria' and 'linked', where 'mitochondria' comes from New Latin 'mitochondrium' (from Greek 'mitos' meaning 'thread' and 'chondrion' meaning 'granule') and 'linked' comes from English 'link' (meaning 'to connect').

'mitochondria' was formed via New Latin 'mitochondrium' from the Greek roots 'mitos' + 'chondrion' and entered scientific English in the 19th century as 'mitochondrion' (plural 'mitochondria'); 'link' developed in English from earlier Germanic forms meaning 'to join', and the compound adjective 'mitochondria-linked' is a modern English formation combining them.

Initially, 'mitochondrion' described a 'thread-granule' appearance of cellular structures and 'link' meant 'to connect'; over time the compound 'mitochondria-linked' came to mean 'connected with or caused by mitochondria' in biological contexts.