The word "村子" is formed by combining the character "村", which means "village", with the suffix "子". The character "子" here does not carry its literal meaning of "child" but functions as a nominalizer, a common and ancient linguistic practice in Chinese. It is attached to the root concept "村" to create a more colloquial, familiar, and concrete noun for the settlement, distinguishing it in tone from the more standalone, formal term "村". This process results in a single, unified word that refers specifically to a village as a lived-in place.