The word 'tooled' is a straightforward English formation, combining the native noun 'tool' with the adjectival suffix '-ed'. The core noun 'tool' has ancient Germanic roots, descending from a Proto-Germanic word related to the act of making or preparing. The suffix '-ed' is one of the most common in English for creating descriptive adjectives from nouns, indicating possession or endowment. Therefore, the literal sense of 'tooled' is "provided with tools." This meaning evolved in two primary directions: the functional sense of being equipped with machinery, and the more specific artistic sense in leatherworking, where specialized tools are used to impress decorative patterns, leaving the leather "characterized by" the marks of those tools.

Structure: tool (implement) + ed (adjective-forming suffix) - tool: From Old English 'tōl' (implement, instrument). Its ultimate origin is Proto-Germanic tōwlan, likely from a root meaning "to make, prepare." In this word, it functions as the core noun root. - ed: A productive English suffix of Old English origin, used to form adjectives from nouns, meaning "having, provided with, characterized by."