'engine-driven' originates from the combination of 'engine' and 'driven', where 'engine' comes from Latin 'ingenium' meaning 'skill' or 'cleverness', and 'driven' is the past participle of 'drive', from Old English 'drīfan'.

'engine' evolved from the Old French 'engin', and 'driven' from Old English 'drīfan', eventually forming the modern English term 'engine-driven'.

Initially, 'engine' referred to any mechanical device, but over time it evolved to specifically mean a machine with moving parts that converts power into motion.