The word 家伙 is formed through a historical and conceptual process of semantic extension and compounding. It originates from the literal combination of 家 (jiā - home/family) and 伙 (huǒ - companion/utensil), initially referring concretely to household tools or implements shared by a domestic unit. Over time, its meaning expanded metaphorically from inanimate objects to refer to people within that shared context, first as a neutral term for "companions" or "members of a household", and then further evolving into its modern, mostly colloquial usage as a referring term for a person, often with a tone of familiarity, emphasis, or mild disdain.