The word 做作 (zuòzuo) is a disyllabic compound formed through the combination of two synonymous or near-synonymous morphemes, 做 (zuò, "to do; to act") and 作 (zuò, "to make; to create; to do"). This pairing is a common method of word formation in Chinese, where two characters with similar meanings are combined to create a single, more nuanced term. In this case, the repetition of the core concept of "acting" or "performing" intensifies the meaning, shifting it from a neutral "to act" to the pejorative sense of being "artificial," "pretentious," or "affected." Thus, the formation leverages semantic fusion and intensification, where the whole meaning of the compound is more specific and figurative than the simple sum of its literal parts.