'scurvy-preventing' originates from Modern English, formed by combining 'scurvy' and the present participle 'preventing' of 'prevent'; 'scurvy' ultimately traces back to Medieval Latin 'scorbutus' meaning 'scurvy', and 'prevent' derives from Latin 'praevenire' where 'prae-' meant 'before' and 'venire' meant 'to come'.

'scurvy' changed from Medieval Latin 'scorbutus' to Old French forms (e.g. 'escorve'/'escrouve') and then to Middle English 'scurvy'; 'prevent' came into English via Old French 'prevenir' from Latin 'praevenire', yielding Modern English 'prevent' and its participle 'preventing'.

Initially the components referred separately to the disease ('scurvy') and the action 'to come before' or 'to forestall' (from Latin); over time the combined modern expression came to mean 'acting to stop or protect against scurvy' (i.e., 'preventing scurvy').