'data-scarce' originates from the combination of 'data,' which comes from Latin 'datum,' meaning 'something given,' and 'scarce,' from Old French 'escars,' meaning 'restricted in quantity.'

'data' evolved from the Latin 'datum' through Middle English, while 'scarce' transformed from Old French 'escars' to the modern English 'scarce.'

Initially, 'scarce' meant 'restricted in quantity,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.