'neuron-protecting' is a compound formed in modern English from 'neuron' + 'protecting'. 'neuron' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'neûron' where 'neûr-' meant 'sinew; nerve (nerve, tendon)'. 'protecting' comes from the verb 'protect', from Latin 'protegere' meaning 'to cover in front'. In Japanese: 「neuron-protecting」は現代英語で「neuron」＋「protecting」の複合語として作られた。'neuron'はギリシャ語'neûron'（『腱・神経』）に由来し、'protecting'はラテン語'protegere'（『前を覆う／守る』）に由来する。

'neuron' entered scientific English in the late 19th century from Modern Latin/Greek usage (coined in neurology literature), while 'protect' evolved from Latin 'protegere' → Old French 'proteger' → Middle English 'protecten'. The compound 'neuron-protecting' is a modern, descriptive English formation combining the scientific noun with a present-participial adjective.

Initially, 'neuron' meant 'nerve' in a general anatomical sense and 'protect' meant 'to cover or shield'; together the modern compound came to mean 'having the quality of protecting neurons', a technical/functional description used in biomedical contexts.