'sporadically-associated' originates from the combination of 'sporadic' and 'associate,' where 'sporadic' comes from the Greek word 'sporadikos,' meaning 'scattered,' and 'associate' comes from the Latin word 'associatus,' meaning 'joined with.'

'sporadic' changed from the Greek word 'sporadikos' to the Medieval Latin 'sporadicus,' and eventually became the modern English word 'sporadic.' 'Associate' transformed from the Latin 'associatus' to the Old French 'associer,' and eventually became the modern English word 'associate.'

Initially, 'sporadic' meant 'scattered or dispersed,' and 'associate' meant 'joined with.' Over time, 'sporadically-associated' evolved to mean 'occurring at irregular intervals and connected in some way.'