'low-resistance' is a Modern English compound formed from 'low' and 'resistance'. 'low' comes from Old English (from words meaning 'not high' or 'close to the ground'), and 'resistance' originates from Latin via Old French: specifically from Latin 'resistentia' (from 'resistere'), where 're-' meant 'back' and 'sistere' (from 'stare' family) meant 'to stand'.

'resistance' entered English via Old French 'resistance' and Middle English, evolving from Latin 'resistentia' (from 'resistere' 'to stand back'). The compound 'low-resistance' is a later, descriptive formation in Modern English combining the adjective 'low' with the noun 'resistance' to form a modifier.

Initially, 'resistance' meant the act or state of resisting; over time it acquired specialized technical senses (e.g., electrical resistance) and now is used in compounds like 'low-resistance' to denote a small amount of opposition, often in electrical contexts.