The word "掂量" is formed by combining the character "掂", which is a phono-semantic compound consisting of the hand radical "扌" denoting manual action and the component "店" providing phonetic approximation, with the character "量", a pictographic derivative representing the act of measurement. Together, they create a compound verb where "掂" conveys tactile estimation and "量" contributes quantitative assessment, resulting in the meaning to physically weigh or figuratively consider.