slit-eyed

The compound adjective "slit-eyed" is a straightforward descriptive formation from two native English elements. The first element, "slit," originates from a Germanic verb meaning to cut or tear, evolving to denote a long, narrow opening. The second element, "eyed," is an Old English-derived suffix meaning "having eyes of a specified kind." When combined, the term literally describes someone possessing eyes that resemble narrow cuts or openings. This descriptive logic, comparing the visible aperture of the eye to a physical slit, is directly carried into its modern usage, often employed in both neutral physical descriptions and, problematically, in reductive racial stereotypes.

Structure: slit (narrow cut) + eyed (having eyes) - slit: From Old English slittan, slyttan (to tear, split), related to Old Norse slita. It functions as a noun used attributively to describe a shape. - eyed: From Old English ēagod, from ēage (eye) + the suffix -ed (having, provided with). It functions as an adjective-forming suffix.