The word 收集 is formed through the conceptual combination of its two component characters: 收 (shōu), which carries the core idea of "to receive", "to gather in", or "to harvest", and 集 (jí), which means "to assemble", "to gather together", or "a collection". Their formation is not grammatical but rather ideographic, merging into a single, cohesive concept where 收 provides the action of taking in or acquiring items, and 集 provides the resultant state or purpose of bringing those items together into one place or group. Thus, the compound naturally expresses the complete process and goal of "to collect".