The word "常春藤" is a compound noun formed through semantic combination: "常" means "always" or "constant," "春" means "spring," and "藤" means "vine." Together, they create the literal meaning "always-spring vine," which is a direct, descriptive name for the evergreen climbing plant known as ivy. This formation exemplifies a common Chinese word-building method where modifying characters ("常春," or evergreen) are placed before a core noun ("藤") to create a vivid, metaphorically descriptive compound. The term was later borrowed to form the translation "常春藤联盟" (Ivy League), where the plant's qualities of perennial vitality and elite interconnection are applied metaphorically to the prestigious universities.