The compound adjective 'sun-bleached' is a transparent modern English formation. Its first element, 'sun', has a stable history from Proto-Germanic, referring directly to the source of light and heat. The second element, 'bleach', originates from an Old English verb meaning to become pale or white, a sense it retains. The '-ed' suffix attaches to the verb to create a participial adjective. The literal logic of the word is perfectly clear: it describes the state of having been whitened or faded by the sun's action, a process familiar in materials like fabric, wood, or hair.

Structure: sun (star) + bleach (whiten) + ed (adjective suffix) - sun: From Old English sunne, of Germanic origin. The noun referring to the luminous celestial body. - bleach: From Old English blǣcan (to whiten), from blāc (pale). The verb meaning to make white or pale. - ed: A suffix of Old English origin used to form adjectives from verbs, indicating the state or result of an action.