The word "伶俐" is formed by combining two characters, each containing the "人" radical, indicating a connection to human attributes. The character "伶" uses the component "令" primarily for its phonetic value while historically associated with performers known for cleverness. The character "俐" uses "利" for its phonetic value and contributes connotations of sharpness or agility. Together, these characters create a disyllabic word meaning clever or nimble through their combined phonetic and semantic elements.