hot-tempered

The adjective "hot-tempered" is a relatively modern English compound, formed by combining the native English word "hot," with its connotations of heat and intensity, and "tempered," derived from the Latin verb temperāre, meaning to mix or bring to a proper condition. In medieval alchemy and metallurgy, a metal's "temper" referred to its hardness and resilience, a meaning which extended metaphorically to describe a person's character or disposition. By the 16th century, "temper" alone could denote a proneness to anger. The compound "hot-tempered" logically fuses these ideas: a "fiery" ("hot") state of mind or disposition ("temper"), creating a vivid metaphor for someone whose anger ignites quickly and fiercely.

Structure: hot (heat) + temper (character) + ed (adjective suffix) - hot: From Old English hāt (hot, fervent). In this compound, it functions as an intensifier meaning "extreme" or "fiery." - temper: From Latin temperāre (to mix, regulate). Via Old French and Middle English, it evolved to mean "character" or "disposition." Here, it refers to one's state of mind. - ed: A common English suffix forming adjectives from nouns or other adjectives, indicating "having the quality of."