The Chinese word 痉挛 (jìngluán), meaning "spasm" or "cramp", is a compound term formed by combining two semantically related characters: 痉 (jìng), which carries the meaning of convulsion, tension, or rigidity (often in a medical context), and 挛 (luán), which denotes contraction, cramping, or curling. Together, they create a precise medical term where both components reinforce the concept of an involuntary, painful muscular contraction. This formation follows a common pattern in Chinese terminology, where two characters with similar or complementary meanings are joined to specify a particular condition or phenomenon, in this case describing the sudden, tightening action of a muscle spasm.