'surprisingly-true' is a compound word formed from 'surprising' and 'true'. 'Surprising' originates from the Latin word 'superprehendere', where 'super-' meant 'over' and 'prehendere' meant 'to seize'. 'True' comes from the Old English word 'trēowe', meaning 'faithful' or 'loyal'.

'Surprising' evolved from the Old French 'surprendre', and 'true' from the Old English 'trēowe'. The combination of these words into 'surprisingly-true' is a modern English formation.

Initially, 'surprising' meant 'to seize over', and 'true' meant 'faithful'. Over time, 'surprisingly-true' evolved to mean 'unexpectedly accurate'.