the compound adjective 'three-legged' is a transparent formation from native english elements. the numeral 'three' traces back to a common indo-european root, while 'leg' is a scandinavian borrowing that became standard in middle english. the suffix '-ed', used to form adjectives from nouns, originates from old english and conveys the sense of possession. the word's logic is entirely literal, directly describing an object or creature possessing three legs, a construction common in english for creating descriptive terms like 'one-eyed' or 'long-haired'.

Structure: three (number) + leg (body part) + ed (adjective suffix) - three: from old english þrīe, of germanic origin; related to dutch drie and german drei, from an indo-european root shared by latin tres and greek treis. functions as a numerical root. - leg: from middle english, from old norse leggr, of germanic origin. functions as a nominal root denoting a limb. - ed: from old english -ede, -od, -ad, forming adjectives from nouns. functions as a suffix meaning "having" or "provided with."