all-male

The compound adjective 'all-male' is a transparent modern English formation. The first element, 'all', is a fundamental Germanic word of universal scope, traceable to Proto-Germanic allaz. The second element, 'male', entered English via French from the Latin masculus, meaning "male, masculine," itself a diminutive of mas (male). The logic of the compound is straightforward and literal, combining the concept of completeness ('all') with the category of gender ('male') to denote an entity composed exclusively of males. This pattern is productive in English, creating similar compounds like 'all-female' or 'all-star'.

Structure: all (complete) + male (sex) - all: From Old English eall, meaning "entire, whole, every." It functions as an intensifier or universal quantifier. - male: From Old French masle, from Latin masculus, meaning "of the male sex." It functions as the core noun specifying the gender.