The character "巴" originates from a pictograph depicting a snake, later used for its phonetic value, while "彦" is a compound character formed from "文" (culture) and "厂" (shelter), historically denoting a person of talent or virtue. In the word "巴彦", these characters are combined primarily for their phonetic roles to transliterate a Manchu or Mongolian term meaning "rich" or "wealthy", often applied in place names.