The word "严格" is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a layer of meaning to create a unified concept. The first character, 严 (yán), carries the core meaning of "strict", "tight", or "severe". The second character, 格 (gé), originally meant "a pattern", "standard", or "frame", such as the squares in a grid. When fused together, 格 acts to concretize the abstract idea of strictness, implying a strictness that adheres to a defined standard or pattern, thus forming the complete meaning of "strict", "rigorous", or "stringent" as in adhering precisely to rules or criteria.