The Chinese word "娼妇" is formed by combining the characters "娼" and "妇". "娼" uses the semantic radical "女" meaning "woman" and the phonetic component "昌" for pronunciation, specifically denoting a woman in prostitution. "妇" also incorporates the semantic radical "女" for "woman" and the component "彐" historically derived from "掃" meaning "to sweep", referring to a married woman. Together, these characters create a compound where both emphasize the female aspect, with "娼" specifying prostitution and "妇" reinforcing the gender, resulting in the meaning "prostitute" or "whore".