'poorly-packaged' originates from the combination of 'poorly,' meaning 'in a bad manner,' and 'packaged,' the past participle of 'package,' meaning 'to wrap or contain.'

'poorly' and 'packaged' have been used separately in English since the Middle Ages, but their combination into 'poorly-packaged' is a more modern usage, reflecting the increased importance of packaging in commerce.

Initially, 'poorly' meant 'in a poor manner,' and 'packaged' referred to the act of wrapping. Together, they evolved to describe inadequate packaging.