'non-coal-bearing' originates from English, formed from the prefix 'non-' meaning 'not', the noun 'coal' (from Old English 'col') meaning 'coal', and the present participle 'bearing' from Old English 'beran' meaning 'to carry'.

'coal' changed from Old English 'col' to Middle English 'cole' and then to modern English 'coal'; 'bearing' derives from Old English 'beran'/'berende' and developed into modern 'bearing'. The compound 'non-coal-bearing' is a modern English descriptive compound used in scientific and geological contexts.

Initially, the parts referred separately to the mineral ('coal') and the action/state of carrying or containing ('bearing'); combined with the negative prefix 'non-' it evolved into the current specialized meaning 'not containing coal' in geological usage.