'soil-settling' is a compound of 'soil' and the present participle 'settling' (from the verb 'settle'). 'soil' originates from Old French 'soille' and Latin 'solum', where 'solum' meant 'ground' or 'soil'; 'settle' originates from Old English 'setlan' meaning 'to cause to sit' or 'to place'.

'soil' passed into Middle English from Old French 'soille' (ultimately from Latin 'solum') and became the modern English 'soil'. 'settle' came from Old English 'setlan' and Middle English 'setlen', eventually yielding the modern verb 'settle' and its gerund/participle 'settling'; the compound 'soil-settling' is a modern compound formed by combining these elements.

Initially the components referred separately to 'ground' ('soil') and the action 'to set or make sit' ('settle'); over time the compound came to denote specifically the phenomenon of ground sinking or compacting — the current meaning 'soil sinking/subsidence'.