The term 'strip-mined' is a modern compound verb formed from two distinct Old English and Old French roots, combined with a standard Germanic past-tense suffix. The first element, 'strip', evolved from an Old English verb meaning to plunder or rob, developing the specific sense of removing a surface layer. The second element, 'mine', entered English from French, with ultimate Celtic origins referring to an ore deposit. The compound 'strip-mine' logically describes the mining method where the land is stripped of its overburden to access minerals beneath. The addition of the '-ed' suffix follows the regular pattern for forming the past tense, resulting in a word that precisely denotes the completed action of this large-scale extraction process.

Structure: strip (to remove) + mine (to dig for minerals) + ed (past tense suffix) - strip: From Old English strīepan (to plunder), of Germanic origin. In this compound, it functions as a verb meaning to remove a covering layer. - mine: From Old French mine, of Celtic origin. In this compound, it functions as a verb meaning to dig for ore or minerals. - ed: A productive English suffix of Germanic origin, used here to form the past tense and past participle of the verb.