The word 争吵 is formed by combining two characters, 争 (zhēng), which means "to strive" or "to contend", and 吵 (chǎo), which means "to argue" or "to make a noise". They are placed side-by-side to create a single conceptual unit where each character reinforces and narrows the meaning of the other, moving from general contention to specifically depict a noisy, verbal dispute or quarrel. This formation is a direct semantic combination where both components contribute their core meanings to paint a more vivid and specific picture of mutual conflict.