The compound "speed-skating" is a transparent modern English formation that directly combines two established words to specify a subtype of an existing sport. "Speed," with its Old English roots in the concept of success and quickness, is used attributively to modify "skating," an activity whose name entered English from Dutch. The logic of the term is entirely compositional: it denotes "skating done with speed as the primary objective," specifically for racing. This formation follows a common Germanic pattern for creating compound nouns, where the first element describes the manner or purpose of the action denoted by the second.

Structure: speed (fast rate) + skating (act of moving on skates) - speed: From Old English spēd (success, prosperity, quickness), of Proto-Germanic origin. In this compound, it functions as a modifier indicating the primary quality (fast pace) of the activity. - skating: From Dutch schaatsen (to skate), derived from schaats (skate, stilt). The suffix -ing forms a verbal noun. In this compound, it specifies the core activity being modified.