'occasionally-separated' originates from the combination of 'occasionally,' derived from Latin 'occasio,' meaning 'a happening,' and 'separated,' from Latin 'separatus,' meaning 'to divide.'

'occasionally' evolved from the Latin 'occasio' through Old French 'occasion,' while 'separated' came from Latin 'separatus' through Old French 'separer.'

Initially, 'occasionally' meant 'a happening,' and 'separated' meant 'to divide.' Over time, they combined to describe something that is not consistently together.