The word "片刻" is formed through the semantic combination of its two component characters. "片" (piàn) evokes the image of a thin, flat slice or fragment, suggesting something small and detached. "刻" (kè) originally referred to the carved notches on a timing device like a water clock or an incense stick, thus representing a measured unit or division of time. When combined, "片刻" metaphorically conveys the idea of "a slice of time" or "a carved notch of a moment", pictorially representing a very short, distinct, and measurable duration, as if it were a tangible fragment cut from the continuum of time.