the compound adjective 'weary-looking' is a modern english formation combining two elements of germanic origin. 'weary' descends from old english 'wērig', meaning 'tired' or 'worn out', a term with deep germanic roots. 'looking' is the present participle of the verb 'look', from old english 'lōcian', meaning 'to see or appear'. the compound follows a common english pattern where an adjective is combined with a present participle to describe a state or appearance, literally meaning 'appearing tired'. this transparent construction directly conveys its meaning through the clear semantic sum of its parts.

Structure: weary (tired) + looking (appearing) weary (old english, adjective meaning 'tired'); looking (old english, present participle of 'look', meaning 'appearing')