'solitary-bearing' originates as a modern English compound of the adjective 'solitary' and the present-participle noun/adjective 'bearing'. 'Solitary' ultimately comes from Latin, specifically the word 'solitarius', where 'solus' meant 'alone'. 'Bearing' derives from Old English 'beran', where the root meant 'to carry'.

'solitary' passed into Middle English from Old French and Latin ('solitarius') and became the modern English 'solitary'; 'bearing' developed from Old English 'beran' (to carry) through its present-participle form to become 'bearing'. The compound 'solitary-bearing' is a descriptive modern English formation combining the two.

Initially the parts meant 'alone' (solitary) and 'to carry' (bearing); over time the compound came to be used descriptively (especially in botanical or descriptive contexts) to mean 'carrying or producing single items' (e.g., single flowers or fruits).