The word 也许 is formed by combining two characters that each contribute to its meaning of "perhaps" or "maybe". The first character, 也 (yě), originally means "also" or "too", introducing a sense of an alternative possibility. The second character, 许 (xǔ), carries the core meaning of "to allow" or "to permit", implying a notion of what is admissible or possible. Together, they create a conceptual blend where 也 suggests "another case" and 许 suggests "what is allowable", fusing to express the idea that something else is also within the realm of possibility, hence "perhaps".