'war-torn' originates from the combination of 'war' and 'torn,' where 'war' refers to armed conflict and 'torn' is the past participle of 'tear,' meaning to rip or damage.

'war-torn' evolved from the Old English word 'tear' (tēarian) and the Old English 'werre' (war), eventually forming the modern English compound adjective 'war-torn.'

Initially, it meant 'damaged by tearing in war,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'severely damaged or affected by war.'