The word 'yardman' is a transparent compound formed from two native English elements. 'Yard' originates from the Old English geard, meaning an enclosed piece of ground, which itself can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic gardaz and ultimately the Proto-Indo-European root gher- meaning 'to grasp, enclose'. 'Man' comes from the Old English mann, meaning a person or human. The compound logically denotes a person whose work is associated with a yard, evolving from the general concept of a person managing an enclosed area to the more specific modern occupations involving maintenance of gardens or railway yards.

Structure: yard (enclosed ground) + man (person) - yard: From Old English geard (enclosure, court, dwelling), of Germanic origin. Functions as the core noun specifying a location. - man: From Old English mann (person, human being), of Germanic origin. Functions as a noun-forming suffix denoting a person associated with the preceding element.