'vine-covered' is a modern English compound formed from 'vine' + the past participle 'covered'. 'vine' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'vinea', where 'vinea' meant 'vineyard, vine'; 'cover' (from which 'covered' derives) originates from Latin 'cooperire' via Old French 'covrir'/'couvrir', where roots meant 'to cover'.

'vine' changed from Latin 'vinea' to Old French 'vigne' and then into Middle English (e.g. 'vyne'/'vine'), eventually becoming modern English 'vine'. 'cover' evolved from Latin 'cooperire' to Old French 'covrir' (modern French 'couvrir') and into Middle English 'cover'; the compound adjective 'vine-covered' developed in Modern English as a straightforward combination of the two words.

Individually, 'vine' originally referred specifically to grapevines and 'cover' to the act of covering; the compound 'vine-covered' has retained a direct descriptive meaning: 'covered with vines' and has not undergone significant semantic shift.