The word 口水 (kǒushuǐ), meaning "saliva", is a straightforward compound formed by combining two basic characters: 口 (kǒu), meaning "mouth", and 水 (shuǐ), meaning "water". Its formation follows the common Chinese linguistic pattern of modifier + head noun, where "mouth" specifies the type or location of the "water". Thus, it literally and logically translates to "mouth water", a direct and vivid description of the bodily fluid produced in the mouth.