full-blood

The compound "full-blood" is a straightforward combination of two native English words. "Full," with its Proto-Germanic root fullaz, conveys the sense of completeness and lack of deficiency. "Blood," from Proto-Germanic blōþam, has long carried a metaphorical sense of kinship, descent, and racial or familial stock, extending beyond its literal physiological meaning. The term emerged in the early 19th century, primarily in the context of animal breeding, to describe an animal of pure, unmixed pedigree. Its logic is transparent: an individual whose lineage or "blood" is "full" or complete, with no admixture from other strains. This concept was later extended to describe people, though such usage is now often considered dated or offensive.

Structure: full (complete) + blood (lineage) - full: From Old English full, meaning "complete, entire." It functions as an intensifier in the compound, emphasizing totality. - blood: From Old English blōd, meaning "blood, family, lineage." It functions as the core noun, denoting ancestry or descent.