the compound adjective 'teary-eyed' is a transparent formation from two native english elements. the first element, 'teary', builds upon the ancient indo-european root for tear, 'dakru-', which traveled through proto-germanic into old english. the second element, 'eyed', descends from the equally ancient root for eye, 'h₃ekʷ-', meaning 'to see'. the compound's logic is purely descriptive, combining the state of being characterized by tears ('teary') with the specific location, the eyes ('eyed'). this straightforward morphological process creates a vivid image of someone whose eyes are glistening or wet with tears, directly linking the physical symptom to the emotional state.

Structure: teary (wet with tears) + eyed (having eyes) - teary: derived from the english noun 'tear' (a drop of liquid from the eye) + the adjectival suffix '-y' (characterized by). 'tear' originates from old english 'tēar', from proto-germanic 'tahr-', from proto-indo-european 'dakru-'. - eyed: derived from the english noun 'eye' (the organ of sight) + the adjectival suffix '-ed' (having, provided with). 'eye' originates from old english 'ēage', from proto-germanic 'augô', from proto-indo-european 'h₃ekʷ-'.