The word 百姓 (bǎixìng), meaning "the common people" or "civilians", is formed through semantic compounding, where the two characters 百 (bǎi), meaning "hundred", and 姓 (xìng), meaning "family name" or "surname", combine to create a new meaning. Historically, it referred to the many distinct family clans or lineages in ancient society, collectively representing the general populace outside the ruling aristocracy. Over time, its meaning broadened from the "hundred surnames" (a metaphor for the multitude of families) to signify the ordinary people as a whole.