hard-fought

The compound adjective 'hard-fought' is a transparent combination of two native English elements. The first element, 'hard', derives from the Proto-Germanic hardu- and ultimately the Proto-Indo-European kert- ("to turn, entwine"), which evolved to signify solidity and, by extension, intensity or difficulty. The second element, 'fought', originates from the Old English verb 'feohtan', from Proto-Germanic fehtan, related to the PIE root pek- ("to pluck," e.g., wool, implying a struggle). The literal sense of "intensely contested" perfectly preserves the original meanings of its components, directly describing a battle, game, or victory that required severe and persistent struggle to achieve.

Structure: hard (intense) + fought (past participle of 'fight') - hard: From Old English 'heard', meaning "solid, firm, severe, difficult." In this compound, it functions as an intensifier. - fought: The past participle of 'fight', from Old English 'feohtan', meaning "to combat, contend." It functions as the core verbal element describing the action.