'stroke-stricken' originates from English, specifically a compound of 'stroke' and the past-participle 'stricken'; 'stroke' (medical sense) comes from Old English words meaning 'a blow' and 'stricken' is the past participle of 'strike' (from Old English 'strīcan/strike') meaning 'to hit or strike'.

'stroke-stricken' developed from older expressions such as 'struck by a stroke' or 'stroke-struck' in early Modern English and eventually became the hyphenated compound 'stroke-stricken' in contemporary usage to describe someone afflicted by a stroke.

Initially, 'stricken' generally meant 'struck (by a blow or misfortune)'; over time, when combined with 'stroke' the compound took on the specific medical meaning 'afflicted by a stroke'.