'animal-pollinated' is a modern compound formed from 'animal' + past participle of 'pollinate'. 'Animal' comes from Latin 'animal', from 'anima' meaning 'breath, life, soul'. 'Pollinate' is formed from Latin 'pollen' (meaning 'fine flour' or 'dust') with the verb-forming suffix '-ate'.

The adjective arose in modern English by combining the noun 'animal' with the past participle 'pollinated' (from the verb 'pollinate'). 'Pollinate' itself was developed from Latin 'pollen' via Late Latin and scientific New Latin into English, and the compound 'animal-pollinated' follows normal English word-formation patterns.

Initially, components 'animal' and 'pollinate' had broader meanings ('animal' = living creature; 'pollen' = fine dust). Over time the compound came to denote specifically the biological condition 'pollinated by animals' used in ecology and botany.