The word 没准 is formed by combining the concept of negation or absence (没, méi, "without") with the idea of a fixed standard or certainty (准, zhǔn, "accurate" or "standard"). It fuses these two literal notions to create a new, abstract meaning. The construction metaphorically takes the solid, dependable ground of a "准" (a benchmark or sure thing) and removes it with "没", resulting in a state of unpredictability or lack of a definite answer, thus conveying the sense of "maybe" or "uncertain".