the compound adjective "tender-hearted" is a transparent english formation. its first element, "tender," traces back to latin tener, meaning soft or delicate, which evolved in middle english to describe gentle qualities. the second element, "heart," is a deeply rooted germanic word from pie ḱḗr, long metaphorized as the seat of emotions and character. the suffix "-ed" attaches to the noun "heart," creating an adjective meaning "having a heart of a certain kind." thus, the literal construction "having a soft heart" elegantly conveys the modern abstract meaning of being compassionate and easily moved by the suffering of others.

Structure: tender (soft) + heart (center of feeling) + ed (having the quality of) tender: from middle english, old french tendre, latin tener (soft, delicate). functions as an adjective describing gentleness. heart: from old english heorte, proto-germanic hertô, ultimately from pie ḱḗr (heart). functions as a noun, the core of emotion. ed: from old english -ede, a suffix forming adjectives from nouns, meaning "having, provided with".