The word 作业 is formed by combining two independent characters, each contributing its core meaning to create a new, composite concept. The first character 作 (zuò) carries the fundamental sense of "to do", "to make", or "to act". The second character 业 (yè) essentially means "task", "work", or "undertaking". Their combination is directly logical and literal, fusing the idea of "doing" with the idea of a "task" to collectively express the concept of "work that is to be done", most commonly understood as assigned work or homework.