The word 玫瑰 is formed by combining two characters that each contain the "jade" radical (玉, often written as 王 on the left), suggesting a category of precious or stony objects. The first character, 玫, uses 文 (wén) primarily for its sound, while the second, 瑰, uses 鬼 (guǐ) primarily for its sound, with both components together historically approximating the pronunciation of the word for the rose plant. The choice of the jade radical for both characters poetically implies the flower's beauty and value, likening it to precious jade, while the phonetic elements create a unique, dissyllabic term for this specific flower, distinguishing it from other plants.