The word 系统 (xìtǒng, meaning "system") is formed through the logical combination of two meaningful characters: 系, which carries the core idea of "connection" or "to link together", and 统, which contributes the notion of "overall" or "to bring under one unifying control". The formation is conceptual, not grammatical, where the two ideas fuse to create a new, compound concept, an interconnected and unified whole where individual parts are linked into a coherent, functioning entity. It is the semantic marriage of "interconnection" and "unified totality" that produces the modern meaning of "system".