The word 文明 is formed conceptually through the combination of two fundamental ideas represented by its characters. The first character, 文 (wén), carries the core meaning of pattern, writing, and culture, the visible, structured marks that distinguish human society. The second, 明 (míng), means bright, clear, or enlightened, implying illumination and understanding. Together, they create a compound idea where the structured patterns of culture (文) are brought into a state of clarity and advancement (明), conceptually forming the notion of "civilization" as an enlightened, refined, and orderly state of human social development.