The compound word "臭味" is formed through the combination of two semantically related characters: "臭", which originally and broadly means "smell" or "odor" but has strongly shifted to denote a bad smell, and "味", which means "taste" or "flavor" but is commonly extended to mean "smell" or "scent". Together, they form a coordinative compound where both elements reinforce and specify the meaning, essentially creating a term that emphasizes and clarifies the nature of the odor as an unpleasant scent or stench. The construction is analogical to many Chinese disyllabic words where synonymous or related characters are paired to form a more precise or colloquial term, in this case solidifying the meaning of "foul smell".