'noise-sensitive' originates from the combination of 'noise' and 'sensitive', where 'noise' refers to unwanted sound and 'sensitive' means easily affected by external stimuli.

'Noise' comes from the Old French word 'noyse', and 'sensitive' from the Latin word 'sensitivus'.

Initially, 'sensitive' meant 'capable of sensation', but over time it evolved to mean 'easily affected by external stimuli'.