The Chinese word "千刀万剐" is formed by combining two numerical characters, "千" (thousand) and "万" (ten thousand), with two characters related to cutting, "刀" (knife) and "剐" (to cut into pieces). The numerical elements exaggerate the severity and multiplicity of the action, while the cutting characters specify the method, resulting in a literal meaning of "a thousand knives and ten thousand slices" that conveys extreme punishment through dismemberment.