The word 蟑螂 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing to the idea of the insect. Both characters share the "insect" radical (虫) on the left, immediately categorizing it as a bug. The right component of the first character, 章, can imply something orderly or marked, possibly evoking the insect's striped or segmented appearance. The right component of the second, 郎, historically means "gentleman", but here it likely functions to give a specific sound and perhaps an ironic or familiar association, completing the name for the common pest. Together, they create a cohesive pictorial and associative label for the cockroach.