The compound 'star-spangled' is a distinctly American formation, famously cemented in the national lexicon by Francis Scott Key's 1814 poem "Defence of Fort M'Henry," which later became "The Star-Spangled Banner." The first element, 'star', draws from the universal Old English term for the celestial bodies, here representing the stars on the American flag. The second element, 'spangled', originates from a Germanic root referring to a glittering ornament or clasp; its participial form evokes something adorned with many shining, metallic sequins. Thus, the term literally means "decorated with shining stars," poetically describing the flag's appearance and, by extension, coming to symbolize the United States itself.

Structure: star (star) + spangled (decorated) - star: From Old English 'steorra', meaning a celestial body. In this compound, it functions as a noun used attributively to specify the type of decoration. - spangled: From Middle English 'spangel', a diminutive of 'spang' (a spangle, a small piece of glittering metal), of Germanic origin. It functions as an adjective meaning decorated with small, bright objects.