The word "魑魅" is formed by combining two characters, 魑 and 魅, each constructed with the radical 鬼 (meaning "ghost" or "demon") to semantically categorize them as malevolent supernatural beings, while the components 离 in 魑 and 未 in 魅 primarily function as phonetic indicators that approximate the sounds of the characters without contributing additional meaning beyond the radical's demonic association.