arrowhead

The word 'arrowhead' is a transparent endocentric compound from Old English, where 'arrow' names the whole object and 'head' specifies its most crucial functional part. The term 'arrow' itself has a deep Germanic lineage, likely related to the Latin arcus (bow), both tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European root concerned with the weaponry of the bow and arrow. 'Head' derives from a common Germanic word for the skull, which extended metaphorically to signify the top, front, or primary part of anything. Thus, the compound's logic is straightforwardly literal: the "head of the arrow," directly describing its pointed tip, a meaning that later inspired the naming of similarly shaped plants.

Structure: arrow + head - arrow: From Old English arwe, earh, of Germanic origin. The functional role is the base noun, denoting the projectile. - head: From Old English hēafod, of Germanic origin. The functional role is a noun, here used in a compounding sense to mean "the foremost part" or "tip."