The word "饷银" is formed by combining the character "饷", which is composed of the radical "食" indicating food or provisions and the phonetic component "向" suggesting pronunciation, with the character "银", which is composed of the radical "金" indicating metal and the phonetic component "艮" suggesting pronunciation. Together, "饷" conveys the meaning of pay or rations, and "银" specifies silver or money, resulting in a compound term referring to military salary or soldier's pay.