red-haired

The compound adjective 'red-haired' is a straightforward descriptive formation from native English elements. Its 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, 'hair', originates from Proto-Germanic khēran. The suffix '-ed', used to form participial and adjectival forms, is of ancient Germanic lineage. The term's logic is transparently literal, directly combining the concept of the color red with the possession of hair, resulting in a term that has been used for centuries to describe a common physical trait.

Structure: red (color) + hair (body part) + ed (adjective suffix) - red: From Old English rēad, of Germanic origin, related to Dutch rood and German rot. Functions as a color adjective. - hair: From Old English hǣr, of Germanic origin. Functions as a noun denoting the filamentous biomaterial. - ed: A suffix forming adjectives from nouns, from Old English -ede. Indicates 'having' or 'characterized by'.