The word "与否" is formed through the fusion and lexicalization of two classical Chinese function words: "与", meaning "and" or "together with", and "否", meaning "not" or "the negative". It originates from a classical syntactic pattern where these two characters were used in tandem to present a paired, affirmative-negative alternative, essentially meaning "[this] and/or not [this]". Over time, this specific pairing solidified into a single, inseparable compound word that encapsulates the concept of a binary choice or question between a stated proposition and its negation.