The word "溯源" is formed by combining the character "溯", meaning to trace back or go upstream, which itself consists of the water radical (氵) and the component "朔" suggesting contrary motion, with the character "源", meaning source or origin, composed of the water radical (氵) and "原" denoting the original state; together, they create a compound where "溯" expresses the action of tracing and "源" specifies the endpoint, resulting in the meaning of tracing back to the origin.