The word 平均 is formed by combining two independent characters, each contributing a related core meaning to create a new, composite concept. The first character, 平 (píng), fundamentally conveys a sense of "level", "flat", or "even". The second character, 均 (jūn), carries the essential meaning of "equal", "uniform", or "impartial". When joined, their individual ideas merge into a single, reinforced concept that encapsulates the notion of making things level and equal, hence arriving at the meaning of "average" or "to average out", where quantities are balanced and distributed uniformly.