The word 教育 (jiàoyù, "education") is formed by combining two ancient pictographic/ideographic characters, each representing a core facet of the concept. The first character, 教, originally depicted a hand holding a rod or disciplinary instrument (爻) over a child (子), conveying the idea of instruction, guidance, and the imparting of knowledge or rules. The second character, 育, depicted a woman (the inverted form of 女) above a child (子), representing the act of birthing, rearing, and nurturing growth. Thus, 教育 conceptually merges these two dimensions: the structured, outward teaching (教) of skills and knowledge with the inward cultivation and nurturing (育) of a person's character and potential, together forming the holistic idea of education.