The compound noun 'voting-age' is a modern legal and sociological term formed by combining two established English words. 'Vote' traces back to the Latin 'votum', a solemn promise or wish, which evolved to signify a formal expression of choice or opinion. 'Age', from Latin 'aetas', broadly denotes a period of life. The compound's logic is transparent: it literally means "the age for voting," designating the specific life stage at which an individual is granted the civic right to participate in elections. This formation follows a common English pattern of creating precise, hyphenated terms by joining a descriptive action ('voting') with a categorical noun ('age').

Structure: voting + age voting: From the verb 'vote', of Latin origin (votum, meaning 'a vow, wish'), functioning as a noun modifier (gerund/participle) indicating the action or concept related to casting a vote. age: From Old French 'aage, eage', ultimately from Latin 'aetas' (period of life, age), functioning as a head noun denoting a specific period or point in life.