The compound adjective 'tear-streaked' is a transparent modern English formation. Its first element, 'tear', descends from the Old English word for the drop of liquid from the eye, a term with deep Germanic roots. The second element, 'streaked', originates from the Old English verb strīcan, meaning to stroke or go, which evolved to denote the action of making linear marks. The compound logically combines these elements to create a vivid descriptive term, literally meaning 'marked with the streaks of tears,' illustrating a direct path from concrete, literal components to a specific modern descriptive sense.

Structure: tear (tear) + streaked (marked with lines) - tear: From Old English tēar, tæhher, of Germanic origin; related to German Zähre. The functional role is a noun used attributively to modify the second element. - streaked: From the base of Middle English striken 'to go, move' (Old English strīcan), with the past participle suffix -ed. The functional role is an adjective meaning marked with lines or streaks.