'steadily-driven' is a compound formed from the adverb 'steadily' and the past participle 'driven'. 'Steadily' comes from 'steady' + the adverbial suffix '-ly', and 'driven' is the past participle of 'drive'.

'steady' developed in Early Modern English from Old English and Middle English elements related to 'stead' (place, position) and later took the suffix '-y' to form the adjective 'steady'. The adverbial form 'steadily' was formed by adding '-ly'. 'Drive' comes from Old English 'drīfan' (to drive), via Proto-Germanic *drībaną; its past participle in modern English is 'driven'. The compound 'steadily-driven' is a modern English adjectival compound combining these elements.

Individually, 'steady' and 'drive' had meanings related to position/place and to force/motion; together as 'steadily-driven' the phrase specifically conveys the idea of motion or action carried out in a steady manner, a compositional meaning rather than a major semantic shift.