'stone-based' is a modern compound formed from the noun 'stone' and the participial adjective 'based'. 'stone' originates from Old English 'stān', where the Proto-Germanic root '*stainaz' meant 'stone'. 'based' comes from the verb 'to base', ultimately from Old French 'base' and Latin Greek 'basis' meaning 'step' or 'foundation'.

'stone' comes from Old English 'stān' and earlier Proto-Germanic '*stainaz'; 'base' entered English via Old French 'base' from Late Latin/Greek 'basis'. The adjective 'based' developed from the past participle of 'to base', and the compound 'stone-based' is a relatively recent English formation used to describe things constructed from or founded on stone.

Originally 'stone' referred simply to the material; 'base' and 'based' referred to foundation. Over time the compound combined these senses so that 'stone-based' specifically denotes something made of stone or having a stone foundation; the core idea of 'stone' as material and 'base' as foundation has been retained.