'poorly-placed' originates from the combination of 'poorly,' meaning 'in a poor manner,' and 'placed,' the past participle of 'place,' meaning 'to put in a particular position.'

'Poorly' and 'placed' have been used in English since the Middle Ages, with 'poorly' deriving from 'poor' and 'placed' from the Old French 'placer.'

Initially, 'poorly-placed' meant 'badly positioned,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.