'low-height' is a modern English compound formed from the adjective 'low' and the noun 'height'. 'low' originates from Old English 'hlǣw' (or related Old English forms), where the root conveyed the sense 'not high' or 'situated below'; 'height' originates from Old English 'hēahþu' (from 'hēah'), where 'hēah' meant 'high'.

'low' developed in English from Old English forms and remained an adjective meaning 'not high'; 'height' developed from Old English 'hēahþu' (and related Middle English forms) into the modern noun 'height'. The compound 'low-height' is a transparent, modern formation combining these two words rather than a historically attested single lexical item.

Individually the components have long meant 'not high' and 'high (vertical extent)' respectively; combined as 'low-height' the compound straightforwardly conveys the current meaning 'having or characterized by small vertical extent'.