The Chinese word **连锁店 (liánsuǒdiàn)**, meaning "chain store," is a compound noun formed by combining the morpheme **连锁 (liánsuǒ)**, which literally means "interconnected chain links," with **店 (diàn)**, meaning "shop" or "store." The term metaphorically uses the image of linked chain rings to conceptualize a series of identical, centrally managed retail outlets that are connected as part of a single brand and system, where **连锁** acts as a descriptive modifier specifying the type of **店**. This formation exemplifies how modern Chinese creates new vocabulary by logically combining existing, meaningful characters to express a compound concept.