The word **南京** (Nánjīng) is a compound noun formed by combining the character **南** (nán), meaning "south," with **京** (jīng), meaning "capital." It is a historical toponym that literally translates to "Southern Capital," a name it acquired during the Ming Dynasty when it was designated as the secondary or southern capital (with Beijing, meaning "Northern Capital," serving as the primary seat of power). This naming convention follows a common pattern in Chinese for denoting significant cities by their geographic position and administrative function, permanently encoding the city's historic political status within its very name.