hirsute

the word 'hirsute' entered english in the early 17th century, directly from the latin adjective 'hirsutus', which meant rough, shaggy, or bristly. this latin term is believed to be related to 'horrere', meaning to bristle or stand on end, a connection that vividly captures the image of coarse, upright hair. the semantic journey is straightforward, moving from the physical description of roughness and shagginess in latin to the more specific modern english meaning of being covered in hair. the suffix '-e' in english serves to mark its adjectival function, preserving the word's classical descriptive role.

Structure: hirsut (hairy) + e (adjective suffix) hirsut (from latin 'hirsutus', meaning rough, shaggy, hairy); e (a common adjectival suffix in english, often from latin '-us' or '-utus').