'poorly-communicated' originates from Modern English, formed by combining the adverb 'poorly' (from 'poor' + '-ly') and the past participle of 'communicate' (from Latin 'communicare').

'communicate' comes from Latin 'communicare' (to share, make common). It passed into Old French as 'communiquer' and into Middle English as forms such as 'communicen'/'communicaten', eventually becoming modern English 'communicate'. 'Poor' comes via Old French (e.g. 'pauvre') from Latin 'pauper' (poor), and the adverb was formed by adding the suffix '-ly'. The compound usage (adverb + past participle) is a Modern English formation used to describe manner.

Originally 'communicare' meant 'to make common' or 'to share'; over time 'communicate' came to mean 'to convey information'. The adverb 'poorly' simply modifies manner, producing the current meaning 'conveyed in a poor/inadequate way'.