'awkwardly-paired' originates from English by combining the adverb 'awkwardly' (from 'awkward') and the past participle 'paired' (from 'pair'). 'awkward' ultimately comes from Old Norse 'afugr', where 'afugr' meant 'turned the wrong way'; 'pair' comes via Old French 'paire' from Latin 'par', meaning 'equal'.

'awkward' changed from Old Norse 'afugr' to Middle English forms like 'awk' and later 'awkward'; 'pair' passed from Latin 'par' to Old French 'paire' and then to Middle English 'pair', leading to the modern English verb/noun 'pair' and adjective form 'paired'.

Initially, 'awkward' carried senses of 'turned the wrong way' or 'clumsy' and 'pair' meant 'things of equal status placed together'; combined, the phrase initially described a pairing that was 'off' or 'uneven' and has evolved to mean a pairing that is socially or aesthetically uncomfortable or ill-suited.