The word 价值 (jiàzhí, meaning "value") is formed through the conceptual combination of two characters: 价, which originally denotes "price" or "cost" (the measurable, often monetary worth of something), and 值, which carries the sense of "being worth" or "deserving" (implying intrinsic worth or equivalence). Together, they merge the external, quantitative notion of market price with the internal, qualitative judgment of inherent worth, creating a holistic concept that encompasses both the objective and subjective dimensions of what makes something valuable.