'ground-based' originates from the combination of 'ground' and 'based', where 'ground' refers to the earth's surface and 'based' indicates a foundation or starting point.

'Ground' and 'based' have been used in English since the Middle Ages, with 'ground' coming from Old English 'grund' and 'based' from the Old French 'baser'.

Initially, 'ground-based' simply referred to something physically on the ground, but it has evolved to include operations or systems that function from the ground.