'clumsy' originates from the Scandinavian word 'klumsa,' meaning 'to stumble.' 'Construct' comes from Latin 'construere,' where 'con-' meant 'together' and 'struere' meant 'to build.'

'Clumsy' evolved from the Middle English word 'clomsen,' while 'construct' came from the Old French 'construire.'

Initially, 'clumsy' meant 'awkward in movement,' and 'construct' meant 'to build.' Over time, 'clumsily-constructed' came to describe something poorly built.