The compound noun 'world-record' is a modern formation that combines two ancient concepts to denote a singular, supreme achievement. The first element, 'world', originates from the Old English 'woruld', which referred to human existence and the physical earth, evolving to signify the entire planet and its inhabitants. The second element, 'record', stems from the Latin 'recordari', meaning to remember, which itself derives from 'cor' (heart), the seat of memory in ancient thought. The literal logic of the compound is "a documented achievement for the entire world," where 'world' intensifies the scope to the ultimate global standard, and 'record' provides the concept of an officially attested fact, creating the modern meaning of the best performance ever officially recognized on a planetary scale.

Structure: world (the earth) + record (a documented best achievement) - world: From Old English 'woruld' (age of man, humanity, the earth), of Germanic origin. Functions as a noun modifier indicating global scope. - record: From Old French 'recorder' (to remember, repeat), from Latin 'recordari' (to remember, call to mind), from 're-' (again) + 'cor' (heart). Functions as the head noun meaning a documented achievement.