'oxygen-dependent' originates from the combination of 'oxygen' and 'dependent', where 'oxygen' is derived from the Greek word 'oxys' meaning 'sharp' and 'genes' meaning 'producer', and 'dependent' comes from Latin 'dependere', meaning 'to hang down from'.

'oxygen' changed from the Greek word 'oxygène' in French and eventually became the modern English word 'oxygen'. 'Dependent' evolved from the Latin 'dependere' through Old French 'depondre'.

Initially, 'oxygen' referred to a substance that produced acids, but over time it evolved into its current meaning of a vital element for life.