The compound "young-looking" is a modern English formation that transparently combines two native Germanic elements. The first element, "young," descends from the Proto-Germanic jungaz, which itself derives from the Proto-Indo-European root yeu- meaning "vital force, youthful vigor." The second element, "looking," originates from the Old English verb lōcian, related to the act of seeing or appearing. When combined, the compound follows a straightforward descriptive logic common in English: an adjective ("young") is attached to a present participle ("looking") to create a new adjective that literally means "appearing young." This pattern efficiently conveys the abstract concept of perceived age based on visual impression.

Structure: young (youthful) + looking (appearing) - young: From Old English geong, meaning "young, youthful." It functions as the core adjective describing the quality of youth. - looking: From the verb look, from Old English lōcian, meaning "to see, gaze, appear." In this compound, it functions as a participial adjective meaning "having the appearance of."