The Chinese word **匪徒 (fěitú)**, meaning "bandit" or "gangster," is a compound noun formed through semantic combination. Its first character, **匪 (fěi)**, originally meant "basket" but, through a long process of semantic shift, acquired its primary modern meaning of "bandit" or "not." The second character, **徒 (tú)**, broadly means "follower," "disciple," or "person." When combined, **匪** acts as a modifier describing the type of person, and **徒** functions as the head noun indicating the person themselves. Thus, the term literally and logically constructs the meaning of "a person who is a bandit" or "a follower of banditry," specifically referring to lawless criminals operating in a group.