'unjustly-awarded' originates from the combination of 'unjustly' and 'awarded'. 'Unjustly' comes from the prefix 'un-' meaning 'not' and 'justly' meaning 'in a fair manner'. 'Awarded' comes from the Old French 'eswarder', meaning 'to judge'.

'Unjustly-awarded' combines the adverb 'unjustly' and the past participle 'awarded', forming a modern English adjective.

Initially, 'unjustly' meant 'not in accordance with justice', and 'awarded' meant 'given as a prize'. Together, they evolved to describe something given in an unfair manner.