The formation of the word "只要" is a conceptual fusion of its two component characters: "只" (zhǐ), which carries the core meaning of limitation or exclusivity (as in "only" or "merely"), and "要" (yào), which conveys the fundamental notions of necessity, wanting, or requiring. When combined, they do not simply add their meanings but interact to create a new, conditional logic; the exclusivity of "只" acts upon the requirement of "要", conceptually framing it as the single, sufficient, or sole necessary condition for something else to follow. It is an ideographic partnership where the first character restricts and focuses the demand of the second, resulting in the integrated meaning of "provided that" or "as long as".