sleepy-eyed
UK[ˈsliːpi ˌaɪd]US[ˈsliːpi ˌaɪd]
adj
having eyes that look tired or half-closed, as if ready to sleep or just awakened.
Morpheme Breakdown
sleepy
eyed
sleepy
drowsy
eyed
having eyes
Etymology
the compound adjective 'sleepy-eyed' is a transparent formation from two native english elements. the first element, 'sleepy', derives from the old english 'slæp', meaning sleep, combined with the adjectival suffix '-y', indicating a tendency or quality. the second element, 'eyed', originates from the old english 'ēage', for eye, with the '-ed' suffix functioning to create descriptive adjectives meaning 'possessing eyes of a particular kind'. the logic of the compound is straightforwardly literal, directly describing the physical appearance of someone whose eyes show signs of drowsiness. this pattern of combining an adjective with a body part plus '-ed' is productive in english, creating vivid descriptive terms like 'blue-eyed' or 'sharp-eyed'.
Analysis
Structure: sleepy (drowsy) + eyed (having eyes)
- sleepy: from old english 'slæpig' (sleepy, inclined to sleep). an adjective-forming suffix '-y' added to the noun 'sleep'.
- eyed: from old english 'ēage' (eye). the past participle form '-ed' is used to form adjectives meaning 'having (a specified type of) eyes'.
Examples
the sleepy-eyed children stumbled into the kitchen for breakfast.
he gave a sleepy-eyed smile from under the blankets.
after the long flight, passengers emerged from the plane looking sleepy-eyed.