The Chinese word **校友 (xiàoyǒu)**, meaning "alumnus/alumna" or "schoolmate," is a **compound word** formed by combining two meaningful characters: **校 (xiào)**, meaning "school," and **友 (yǒu)**, meaning "friend." It follows a common **modifier-head structure** in Chinese morphology, where the first character **校** specifies the domain or context ("school"), and the second character **友** denotes the core relationship ("friend"). Thus, the compound semantically signifies a "school friend," but its conventional meaning has narrowed to specifically refer to individuals who share a connection through having attended the same educational institution, encompassing both former students (alumni) and sometimes current students. This formation exemplifies how Chinese creates precise terms by logically combining existing semantic units.