The Chinese word **脊髓** (jǐ suǐ), meaning "spinal cord," is formed through semantic compounding, where two meaningful characters combine to create a new, specific term. The first character, **脊** (jǐ), means "spine" or "backbone," referring to the vertebral column. The second character, **髓** (suǐ), means "marrow," referring to the soft, inner substance of bones. When combined, the term literally translates to "spine marrow," which accurately and intuitively describes the anatomical structure of the soft nervous tissue encased within the spinal column. This method of word formation is common in Chinese for creating precise scientific and anatomical terminology.