'terrain-insensitive' originates from the combination of 'terrain,' which comes from Latin 'terra' meaning 'earth,' and 'insensitive,' which is derived from Latin 'insensibilis,' meaning 'not feeling.'

'terrain' evolved from the Old French 'terrein,' and 'insensitive' from the Middle English 'insensitif,' eventually forming the modern English term 'terrain-insensitive.'

Initially, 'terrain' referred to 'land or ground,' and 'insensitive' meant 'not feeling,' but together they evolved to describe something unaffected by land conditions.