'plum-hued' originates from English as a compound of 'plum' + 'hued'. 'Plum' ultimately comes from Latin 'prūnum' (via Old English 'plūme'), and 'hued' is formed from 'hue', from Old English 'hiw' meaning 'appearance, color'.

'plum' changed from Old English 'plūme' (from Latin 'prūnum') and entered Middle English as 'plum'; 'hue' evolved from Old English 'hiw' to Middle English 'hue'. The compound 'plum-hued' is a modern descriptive formation combining the fruit name with 'hued' to describe color.

Initially 'plum' referred to the fruit and 'hue' to appearance or color; over time the combination came to mean 'having the color of a plum' (a specific deep purplish shade).