'syntax-bound' originates from the combination of 'syntax' and 'bound', where 'syntax' refers to the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences, and 'bound' means restricted or confined.

'syntax' comes from the Greek word 'syntaxis', meaning 'arrangement', and 'bound' is derived from the Old English 'bindan', meaning 'to bind'.

Initially, 'syntax-bound' meant strictly adhering to syntactical rules, and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.