off-price

The compound adjective "off-price" is a modern commercial term formed within English. Its logic is transparent, combining the common adverb/preposition "off," implying a departure or reduction from a norm, with the noun "price," denoting cost. The term literally suggests a price that is "off" the standard or regular retail price. This construction follows a productive English pattern for creating compound modifiers (e.g., off-brand, off-peak) to specify a deviation from a typical condition, in this case, the expected market price for branded goods.

Structure: off (away, from) + price (cost) - off: From Old English of, off, meaning "away, away from, from, off." It functions as an adverb or preposition used here to indicate deviation or separation from a standard. - price: From Old French pris, price (Modern French prix), meaning "value, worth, reward," ultimately from Latin pretium meaning "price, value, reward." It functions as the core noun element.