'sulfide-deficient' originates from the combination of 'sulfide,' which comes from the Latin 'sulfur,' meaning 'brimstone,' and 'deficient,' from Latin 'deficere,' meaning 'to fail or lack.'

'sulfide' was derived from the French 'sulfure,' and 'deficient' evolved from the Latin 'deficere,' eventually forming the modern English term 'sulfide-deficient.'

Initially, 'deficient' meant 'failing or lacking,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage when combined with 'sulfide.'