The word 杨贵妃 is formed by combining the surname 杨 (Yáng), which functions as a family name, with the title 贵妃 (Guìfēi), which is itself composed of the characters 贵 (meaning "noble") and 妃 (meaning "consort"), together denoting "noble consort". This creates a proper noun that specifically identifies the historical figure Yang Guifei, an imperial consort from the Tang Dynasty.