The word 牵连 is formed through the conceptual combination of its two component characters: 牵, which originally depicts the action of pulling an ox by a lead rope, conveys the idea of drawing or involving someone or something; it is paired with 连, which represents connection or linkage, often pictorially related to a chariot or sequence. Together, they fuse into a single, abstract concept where one action (pulling/involving) directly causes and is inseparable from the state of being joined or tied to another, effectively creating the meaning of "to implicate" or "to entangle". It is a natural semantic fusion where two actions of binding and connecting compound to express a cause-and-effect relationship of entwinement.