The word "苜蓿" is formed by combining two characters, each constructed as a phonetic-semantic compound: "苜" integrates the grass radical "艹" for semantic category and "目" for phonetic indication, while "蓿" similarly uses "艹" for semantics and "宿" for phonetics. Together, they create a disyllabic term specifically denoting the alfalfa plant, with both characters contributing to its pronunciation and botanical reference.