horned

the word 'horned' is a straightforward english formation. its first element, 'horn', descends from old english 'horn', which has cognates across the germanic languages and originates from the proto-indo-european root ker-, meaning 'horn' or 'head'. the suffix '-ed' is the old english adjectival suffix used to denote possession or provision of a quality. therefore, 'horned' literally means 'provided with horns', a meaning that has remained transparent and unchanged from its old english origins to its modern usage.

Structure: horn (hard pointed growth) + ed (adjective suffix) horn (old english, from proto-germanic, meaning the hard pointed growth on an animal's head); ed (old english, from proto-germanic, a suffix forming adjectives meaning 'having, provided with').