'inelegantly' originates from the Latin word 'inelegans', where 'in-' meant 'not' and 'elegans' meant 'tasteful or refined'.

'inelegans' transformed into the French word 'inelegant', and eventually became the modern English word 'inelegant' with the adverbial form 'inelegantly'.

Initially, it meant 'not tasteful or refined', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.