The word 自制 (zìzhì) is a compound formed by combining two meaningful characters: 自 (zì), meaning "self", and 制 (zhì), meaning "to control", "to regulate", or "to make". Together, they create a concept where the "self" is the agent of the "controlling" or "making", resulting in the dual meanings of self-control (the restraint of one's own emotions or behavior) and self-made (something made by oneself). This formation follows the common Chinese morphological pattern of modifying a verb (制) with a subject/agent (自) to specify who performs the action.