drought-resistant

the word is a modern english compound adjective, logically constructed from three distinct morphemes. the first element, 'drought', originates from old english 'drugath', meaning 'dryness', which itself evolved from the proto-germanic root for 'dry'. the core component, 'resist', comes from latin 'resistere', meaning 'to stand back or against', formed from 're-' (back) and 'sistere' (to stand). the suffix '-ant', of latin origin via old french, is used to form adjectives indicating a quality or tendency. therefore, the literal construction 'dryness-against-causing' elegantly conveys the modern meaning of possessing the quality to withstand arid conditions.

Structure: drought + resist + ant drought (old english, meaning 'dryness, lack of rain'); resist (latin, meaning 'to stand against, oppose'); ant (latin, adjective-forming suffix meaning 'performing, promoting, or causing an action').