The Chinese term 替罪羊 (tìzuìyáng), meaning "scapegoat", is formed through a vivid conceptual loan translation that merges both literal and cultural layers: the character 替 means "to substitute", 罪 means "sin" or "blame", and 羊 means "goat" or "sheep", together creating the direct image of a "substitute sin-goat". Its formation specifically originates from the biblical ritual of the Day of Atonement described in the Book of Leviticus, in which a goat is symbolically burdened with the sins of the community and sent into the wilderness. This Western concept was later translated into Chinese, adopting the existing character 羊 (which broadly denotes both sheep and goats) to faithfully convey the original metaphor, thus embedding a profound cross-cultural symbol into the Chinese lexicon for an innocent person who bears blame for others.