'yolk-bearing' originates from English, specifically the words 'yolk' and 'bearing', where 'yolk' ultimately comes from Old English 'geolca' (related to 'geolu') meaning 'yellow' and 'bearing' comes from Old English 'beran' meaning 'to carry'.

The element 'yolk' changed from Old English 'geolca' to Middle English 'yolk', and 'bearing' developed from Old English 'beran' into the modern gerund/participle 'bearing'; these elements combined into the compound adjective 'yolk-bearing' in modern English.

Initially, the components meant 'yellow' (for 'yolk') and 'to carry' (for 'bearing'), but combined they evolved to mean 'carrying or containing yolk' in biological contexts.