The word "剧本" is formed through a logical and conceptual combination of its two component characters: "剧", meaning drama or play, and "本", which fundamentally denotes the root, origin, or foundation of something, and by extension, a book or document. When combined, the concept shifts from a general "foundation" to the specific foundational document for a drama. Thus, the compound literally and metaphorically represents the "root-text of a play", or a script, where the second character specifies the form and purpose of the document implied by the first.