'silver-bearing' originates from a combination of Old English elements: 'seolfor' (the ancestor of modern 'silver') and the verb 'beran' (the ancestor of modern 'bear'), where 'seolfor' meant 'silver' and 'beran' meant 'to carry or produce'.

'silver' changed from Old English 'seolfor' to Middle English 'silver' and into modern English 'silver'; 'bear' changed from Old English 'beran' to Middle English 'beren' and into modern English 'bear'. The compound 'silver-bearing' was formed in modern English by joining 'silver' + the present participle 'bearing'.

Initially it meant 'carrying or containing silver' (in a literal, physical sense) and has retained that basic meaning into modern usage, especially in geology and mining contexts.