'tarnish-resistant' originates from English as a compound of the verb 'tarnish' and the adjective 'resistant'. 'Tarnish' (verb) comes via Middle English from Old French/Frankish roots meaning to make dull or discolored, and 'resistant' comes from Latin 'resistere' (via French 'résistant'), where 're-' meant 'again/back' and 'sistere' (from sistere) meant 'to stand (against)'.

'tarnish' developed in Middle English from earlier Old French/Frankish forms meaning 'to make dull', and 'resistant' entered English from French and Latin ('resistere'); combined in modern English to form the compound adjective 'tarnish-resistant'.

Initially, 'tarnish' meant to make something dull or discolored; over time the compound 'tarnish-resistant' came to mean 'able to resist that dulling/discoloration', i.e., 'not easily tarnished'.