short-hair

The compound "short-hair" is a straightforward combination of two ancient Germanic roots. "Short" descends from the Proto-Germanic skurtaz, which itself likely derives from the Proto-Indo-European root (s)ker-, meaning "to cut," conceptually linking shortness to being cut off. "Hair" traces back to Proto-Germanic khēran, from the PIE root ghers-, meaning "to stand on end" or "bristle." The compound logic is transparently descriptive, directly applying the adjective "short" to the noun "hair" to denote hair of limited length. Its application to describe specific breeds of domestic animals, particularly cats, is a modern, conventionalized extension of this basic descriptive term.

Structure: short (brief in length) + hair (strands growing from the skin) - short: From Old English sceort, of Germanic origin; meaning "not long" or "brief in length or duration." Functions as an adjective modifying the noun. - hair: From Old English hǣr, of Germanic origin; meaning "the mass of fine thread-like strands growing from the skin." Functions as the head noun.