The compound "weatherman" is a transparent and relatively modern formation in English, built from two native Germanic roots. The first element, "weather," descends from the Old English weder, which itself traces back to the Proto-Germanic wedrą, meaning "weather" or "storm," and ultimately to the Proto-Indo-European root we-dhro-, meaning "to blow" or "to fan." The second element, "man," from Old English mann (person), is a common agentive suffix in English. The term's logic is straightforwardly literal: a "weather person." It emerged in the 20th century with the rise of broadcast media, where a specific individual was tasked with presenting meteorological information to the public, evolving from earlier, more general terms like "weather reporter" or "meteorologist" for popular usage.

Structure: weather + man - weather: From Old English weder, meaning "air, sky, breeze, storm, weather." Its functional role is the core semantic element, specifying the subject matter. - man: From Old English mann, meaning "person, human being." Its functional role is an agent noun suffix, indicating a person associated with the preceding element.