The term 老人家 is a compound word formed through a combination of morphological and semantic processes: it begins with the root 人 (rén, person), which is prefixed with 老 (lǎo, old) to create 老人 (old person). The suffix 家 (jiā) is then added, which in this context does not mean "home" but functions as a nominalizer that conveys a sense of familiarity, respect, or categorization, similar to "-ist" or "-er" in English but with a softer, more honorific tone. Thus, the compound shifts from the neutral "old person" to a more polite and affectionate term meaning "elderly person" or "venerable elder", where 家 softens the address and implies a degree of reverence for the individual's age and status.