The term 乡巴佬 is a colloquial, often derogatory compound word formed by combining three characters: 乡 (xiāng), meaning "village" or "countryside"; 巴 (bā), a suffix common in certain dialects (like Sichuanese) that can denote a person or add a colloquial flavor; and 佬 (lǎo), a casual term for a "man" or "fellow". Literally, it constructs the meaning of "countryside fellow". Its formation follows a common Chinese structural pattern of [Place/Characteristic] + [Suffix] to label a type of person, in this case implying an unsophisticated or rustic individual from the rural hinterlands, often carrying a connotation of backwardness or lack of urban polish.