The word "伶仃" is formed by combining two characters, each constructed as a phonosemantic compound. The character "伶" consists of the radical "亻" (person) indicating its semantic category, and the phonetic component "令" (líng) providing its sound. Similarly, "仃" uses the same radical "亻" (person) for meaning, with the phonetic component "丁" (dīng) for sound. When paired, these characters create a disyllabic word that conveys the meaning of being lonely or isolated, with both radicals emphasizing the human state and the phonetics contributing to the pronunciation.