The word 赔偿 (péicháng) is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a layer of meaning to the whole concept. The first character, 赔, is itself composed of the "贝" radical (historically representing shell currency, thus value or money) and the component "咅", which can suggest the idea of repaying or answering. This character alone means to compensate for a loss. The second character, 偿 (償), incorporates the "人" (person) radical and conveys the idea of fulfilling or repaying an obligation, as in satisfying a debt. Therefore, the compound 赔偿 is formed by pairing these two semantically similar characters to create a reinforced, complete idea of making a monetary or equivalent repayment to settle a claim or make amends for damage or loss.