The word "三姑六婆" is formed by combining the numeral "三" (three) with "姑" (aunt, here referring to specific female roles) and the numeral "六" (six) with "婆" (grandmother, also referring to specific female roles), where "三姑" collectively denotes three types of religious women, Buddhist nuns, Taoist nuns, and fortune-tellers, and "六婆" denotes six types of female practitioners, matchmakers, shamanesses, procuresses, herbalists, midwives, and brokers, resulting in a compound term that enumerates these nine traditional occupations.