'subject-focused' originates from the combination of 'subject' and 'focused', where 'subject' comes from Latin 'subjectus', meaning 'lying beneath', and 'focused' from Latin 'focus', meaning 'hearth' or 'center'.

'subjectus' transformed into the Old French word 'sujet', and eventually became the modern English word 'subject'. 'Focus' remained largely unchanged from Latin to English.

Initially, 'subject' meant 'a person under the control of another', but over time it evolved to mean 'a topic or area of study'. 'Focused' has largely retained its original meaning of 'concentrated' or 'centered'.