The Chinese word 厘米 (límǐ), meaning "centimeter", is a modern compound formed through semantic combination. It was created during the 19th/20th century when China adopted the metric system, directly translating the concept of "centi-" (one-hundredth) and "meter". The first character, 厘 (lí), historically represents a tiny unit or one-hundredth (e.g., of a tael or a Chinese foot), thus semantically carrying the "centi-" prefix. The second character, 米 (mǐ), is a phonetic loan character for "meter", derived from the sound of the French "mètre". Together, they form a logical and precise calque meaning "one-hundredth of a meter".