'short-distance' originates from the combination of 'short' and 'distance', where 'short' meant 'not long' and 'distance' referred to 'the amount of space between two points'.

The term 'short-distance' evolved from the Old English 'sceort' and Latin 'distantia', eventually forming the modern English compound adjective 'short-distance'.

Initially, it meant 'a small amount of space between two points', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.