'spice-scented' is a modern English compound formed from 'spice' + 'scented' (the adjectival form of 'scent'). 'spice' originates from Old French 'espice', from Latin 'species', where 'species' meant 'a kind or sort' and later referred to exotic goods including spices. 'scent' derives from Old French/Anglo-Norman from Latin 'sentire' meaning 'to perceive'; 'scented' is formed by adding the adjectival suffix '-ed' to 'scent'.

'spice' entered English via Old French 'espice' from Latin 'species', evolving from a general sense of 'a kind/sort' and 'merchandise' to specifically denote aromatic seasoning; 'scent' came into English via Old French/Anglo-Norman from Latin 'sentire' and developed into the noun 'scent' and adjective 'scented'. The compound 'spice-scented' is a transparent modern formation joining these elements.

Originally the elements referred separately to 'spices' and to the notion of smell or being perfumed; the compound has straightforwardly come to mean 'having the smell of spices' with little semantic shift from its component parts.