'barely-visible' originates from the combination of 'barely' and 'visible', where 'barely' means 'only just' and 'visible' means 'able to be seen'.

'barely' and 'visible' have been used in English since the Middle Ages, and their combination into 'barely-visible' is a modern usage to describe something that is difficult to see.

Initially, 'barely' meant 'only just' and 'visible' meant 'able to be seen'. The combination retains this meaning, emphasizing the difficulty in seeing something.