The word "哪怕" is formed through the fusion of two distinct characters, each contributing its core conceptual essence to create a new, unified meaning. The character "哪" (nǎ), originally an interrogative, introduces a sense of indefinite or hypothetical circumstance, a "whatever" situation. This is combined with "怕" (pà), which means "to fear" or "to be afraid of", conveying a sense of concern or apprehension. Over time, these combined in a fixed pairing where the notion of "fearing" a hypothetical scenario evolved into a rhetorical device meaning "even if" or "even though", effectively signaling a conceded point that does not alter the main conclusion. Thus, its formation is a semantic blend where questioning and fearing together build a concept of defiant concession.