'oxygen-reliant' originates from the combination of 'oxygen' and 'reliant', where 'oxygen' refers to the chemical element essential for respiration, and 'reliant' means dependent on something.

'oxygen' comes from the French word 'oxygène', and 'reliant' is derived from the Latin 'religere', meaning 'to bind'.

Initially, 'oxygen-reliant' meant 'dependent on oxygen for life processes', and this meaning has remained consistent.