'voluntarily-returned' originates from the Latin word 'voluntarius,' meaning 'of one's free will,' and the Old French word 'retourner,' meaning 'to turn back.'

'voluntarius' transformed into the Middle English word 'voluntary,' and 'retourner' became 'return' in modern English, eventually forming the compound 'voluntarily-returned.'

Initially, it meant 'to return by choice,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.