The word 群芳 is formed by combining the character 群, which is itself composed of 君 (gentleman) and 羊 (sheep) to depict a herd or group, with the character 芳, composed of 艹 (grass radical) and 方 (direction) to indicate fragrant plants. Together, they create a compound where 群 modifies 芳 to literally mean "a group of fragrant flowers", a term subsequently applied to gatherings of beautiful or talented individuals.