love-struck

The compound "love-struck" follows a Germanic pattern of forming descriptive adjectives by combining a noun with a past participle, akin to "star-struck" or "awe-struck." The core noun "love" originates from the Proto-Germanic lubō, conveying a deep, personal affection. The element "struck" derives from the Old English strīcan, which evolved from the notion of a physical blow to a metaphorical impact. Thus, the literal sense of being "hit by love" poetically captures the sudden, overwhelming, and consuming nature of romantic infatuation in the modern meaning.

Structure: love (noun) + struck (adjective) - love: From Old English lufu, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch liefde and German Liebe. Functions as the nominal root denoting deep affection. - struck: Past participle of the verb strike, from Old English strīcan (to go, flow, stroke). In this compound, it functions as an adjectival suffix meaning "hit or affected by".