The compound adjective 'still-warm' is a transparent combination of two native English elements. 'Still' originates from the Proto-Germanic stillijaz, related to the concept of standing or being fixed, which evolved to mean 'continuing without change'. 'Warm' descends from Proto-Germanic warmaz, itself from the Proto-Indo-European root gʷʰer- meaning 'warm, hot'. The compound's logic is directly descriptive: it denotes a state where the quality of being warm persists from a prior condition, such as cooking or handling. It is most commonly applied to freshly prepared food or recently vacated seats, evoking a sense of recent presence or activity.

Structure: still (sense) + warm (sense) - still: From Old English stille (motionless, at rest, quiet). In this compound, it functions as an adverb meaning 'continuing to be'. - warm: From Old English wearm (having a moderate degree of heat). It functions as the core adjective describing the temperature.