The word "鼓手" (gǔshǒu), meaning "drummer", is a straightforward compound noun formed through semantic combination. It consists of the morpheme "鼓" (gǔ), meaning "drum", which acts as the modifier, and "手" (shǒu), literally "hand", which here functions as a suffix meaning "person skilled in handling or operating something". Therefore, the construction follows a logical "tool/user" or "object/agent" pattern, literally translating to "drum-hand" but idiomatically meaning "a person who handles the drum", i.e., a percussionist. This formation is analogous to other Chinese terms like "歌手" (gēshǒu, singer) and "水手" (shuǐshǒu, sailor).