The word "文绉绉" is formed by using the character "文", which denotes literary or refined qualities, as the semantic base, and attaching the reduplicated phonetic component "绉绉". This reduplication does not retain the literal meaning of "绉" (crepe or wrinkle) but instead serves as a suffix to create an adjective emphasizing an excessive or affectedly scholarly manner, thus transforming the root into a descriptive term for being overly bookish or pedantic.