The Chinese word 灯塔 (dēngtǎ), meaning "lighthouse", is a compound noun formed through a modifier-head structure common in Mandarin. It combines the character 灯 (dēng), meaning "lamp" or "light", with 塔 (tǎ), meaning "tower". In this combination, 灯 acts as the modifier specifying the type or purpose, and 塔 serves as the head noun indicating the core object; thus, the compound literally and logically denotes a "light-tower" or a tower that emits a guiding light, perfectly capturing the function of the structure.