The Chinese word **心肠 (xīncháng)**, meaning "disposition" or "heart" (as in kindness or cruelty), is a compound formed through semantic combination, where two characters with related metaphorical meanings merge to create an abstract concept. The character **心 (xīn)** literally means "heart," representing the seat of emotions, thought, and intention, while **肠 (cháng)** literally means "intestines" or "guts," traditionally viewed in Chinese culture as the organs associated with deeper feelings, empathy, and sentiment. Together, they form a binome that synthesizes the idea of one's innermost emotional and moral nature, drawing on the ancient Chinese belief that both the heart and the visceral organs contribute to a person's character and emotional depth.