The Chinese word **论坛** (lùntán), meaning "forum" (as in an online discussion platform or a symposium), is a modern compound noun formed by combining two meaningful characters: **论** (lùn), which means "to discuss" or "discourse," and **坛** (tán), which originally means a "platform" or "altar" (often for ceremonial or elevated purposes). Together, they create a metaphorical meaning of a "platform for discussion," where **论** provides the action (discussing) and **坛** provides the conceptual location or medium (the platform). This formation follows a common pattern in Chinese where two characters with related semantic meanings are combined to express a new, more specific concept.