The Chinese word **源泉** (yuánquán), meaning "source" or "fount," is a **compound word** formed by combining two synonymous characters, each related to the concept of an origin. The first character, **源** (yuán), originally picturing water flowing from a cliff, means "source" or "origin." The second, **泉** (quán), depicts water emerging from a hole in the ground, meaning "spring" or "fountain." By joining these two near-identical semantic elements, the word creates a reinforced, vivid metaphorical concept of an abundant and fundamental starting point, often used abstractly for things like knowledge or creativity.