'barely-furnished' originates from the English word 'barely,' meaning 'scarcely' or 'just enough,' combined with 'furnished,' meaning 'equipped with furniture.'

'barely' and 'furnished' have been used in English since the Middle Ages, but the compound form 'barely-furnished' is a more modern construction.

Initially, 'barely' meant 'scarcely' and 'furnished' meant 'equipped with furniture.' The compound form retains these meanings to describe a space with minimal furniture.