The Chinese word 凶残 (xiōngcán), meaning "savage" or "brutal," is a compound formed through the combination of two semantically similar characters: 凶 (xiōng), which conveys notions of ferocity, violence, or inauspiciousness, and 残 (cán), which signifies cruelty, injury, or mutilation. This structure is a classic example of a coordinated or parallel compound, where both elements contribute closely related meanings that reinforce and intensify each other to describe an extreme degree of viciousness and cruel behavior. The formation thus follows a common pattern in Chinese lexicon development where synonyms are paired to create a more vivid or emphatic term with a nuanced, composite meaning.