'sparsely-furnished' originates from the combination of 'sparse' and 'furnished'. 'Sparse' comes from Latin 'sparsus', meaning 'scattered', and 'furnished' is derived from Old French 'furnir', meaning 'to supply'.

'Sparse' changed from the Latin word 'sparsus' to the Old French 'espars', and eventually became the modern English word 'sparse'. 'Furnished' evolved from Old French 'furnir' to Middle English 'furnishen'.

Initially, 'sparse' meant 'scattered or spread out', and 'furnished' meant 'supplied or equipped'. Together, they evolved to describe a space with minimal furniture.