The word "柳城" is formed by combining the character "柳", which means willow tree and is a pictographic character historically derived from the depiction of a willow, with "城", meaning city or wall, which itself is composed of the radical "土" for earth and the component "成" primarily indicating sound. Together, they create a literal meaning of "Willow City", functioning as a place name that directly describes a city characterized by or associated with willow trees.