red-eyed

The compound adjective 'red-eyed' is a transparent formation from two native English elements. The first element, 'red', descends from the Proto-Germanic raudaz, which itself derives from the Proto-Indo-European root h₁rewdʰ-, meaning 'red' or 'ruddy'. The second element, 'eyed', combines the noun 'eye' (from Proto-Germanic augô) with the adjectival suffix '-ed', a productive pattern in English for creating descriptive terms like 'blue-eyed' or 'sharp-eyed'. The literal combination, 'having red eyes', directly reflects the modern meaning, which typically describes a temporary physical condition caused by fatigue or emotion, or a permanent zoological trait. Its logic is purely descriptive, with no significant semantic evolution from its constituent parts.

Structure: red (color) + eyed (having eyes) - red: From Old English rēad, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch rood and German rot. Functions as an adjective describing a color. - eyed: From Old English ēage (eye) + the suffix -ed, used to form adjectives meaning 'having (a specified kind of) eyes'. The suffix -ed is of Germanic origin, used to form adjectives from nouns.