bald-headed

The compound "bald-headed" is a transparent descriptive formation within English. The first element, "bald," traces back to a Middle English term implying a bare, white, or shining surface, a sense which naturally extended to a lack of hair. The second element, "headed," derives from the Old English word for "head," used in combination to denote possession of a particular type of head. The logic of the compound is straightforwardly literal, directly combining the concept of hairlessness ("bald") with the body part it describes ("headed") to create an adjective specifying a physical characteristic.

Structure: bald (hairless) + headed (having a head) bald: From Middle English 'balled', likely of Germanic origin, meaning 'white, shining, hairless'. Functions as the descriptive root. headed: From Old English '-hēafod', the past participle form of 'head', used to form adjectives meaning 'having a (specified kind of) head'. Functions as a combining form.