'little-discussed' is a modern English compound formed from the adjective 'little' and the past participle 'discussed' (from the verb 'discuss'), meaning 'little (in amount or degree) that is discussed'.

'discuss' originates from Latin 'discutere' (from 'dis-' + 'quatere'), meaning 'to shake apart'; it entered English via Middle French/Latin influence and developed into the sense 'to examine by argument' in English. 'little' comes from Old English 'lytel' (Middle English 'little'), meaning 'small'. The compound 'little-discussed' is a descriptive formation in modern English usage.

Initially, 'discuss' in Latin meant 'to strike or shake apart'; over time it came to mean 'to examine by talking' and in modern English 'to talk about'. 'Little' originally meant 'small' and has been used to indicate low degree or frequency (e.g., 'little used' = 'rarely used'). Combined, the compound took the current sense 'rarely talked about'.