'sought-after' originates from the verb 'seek,' which comes from Old English 'sēcan,' meaning 'to go in search of.'

'sēcan' evolved into the Middle English 'seken,' and eventually became the modern English 'seek.' The past participle 'sought' combined with 'after' to form the adjective 'sought-after.'

Initially, 'seek' meant 'to go in search of,' and 'sought-after' evolved to mean 'highly desired or in demand.'