'uneven-footed' originates from English, specifically a compound of the adjective 'uneven' and the adjective-forming element '-footed' (from 'foot'), where 'un-' meant 'not' and 'foot' meant 'foot' or 'base'.

'uneven' comes from Old English elements: the negative prefix 'un-' + 'efen' (later 'even') meaning 'level'; 'footed' is formed from Old English 'fōt' ('foot') plus the adjectival suffix '-ed'. The compound 'uneven-footed' is a Modern English formation combining these elements to describe feet or footing that are not even.

Initially the component parts described literal absence of evenness in level or feet; over time the compound has been used both literally (unequal feet or gait) and figuratively (irregular meter or unstable footing), but the core idea of 'not even at the foot/base' has remained.