The word 亲戚 is formed by combining two characters that each represent a different dimension of familial relationship. 亲 refers to one's immediate, close-blood relatives, like parents and siblings, while 戚 denotes more distant relations by blood or, more traditionally, connections through marriage. By joining them, the compound creates a single, comprehensive concept that encompasses the entire spectrum of one's extended family network, blending the ideas of inner-closeness and outer-relation into one holistic term for kin.