'species-specific' originates from Modern English, formed by combining the noun 'species' and the adjective 'specific'. 'species' comes from Latin 'species', where 'species' meant 'appearance' or 'kind', and 'specific' comes from Late Latin 'specificus', ultimately derived from Latin 'species' plus a formative element meaning 'making' or 'relating to'.

'species' passed from Latin 'species' into Medieval Latin and Old French and then into Middle English as 'species'; 'specific' entered English via Late Latin/Medieval Latin 'specificus' (and through Old French influences), and the compound 'species-specific' developed in Modern English usage as a descriptive compound.

Initially it meant 'pertaining to a particular species' and this core meaning has remained largely unchanged, being used to denote traits, behaviors, or effects limited to a single species.