The word 启发 is formed through the conceptual fusion of its two component characters: 启 (qǐ), which originally depicts a hand opening a door, meaning to open, enlighten, or instruct; and 发 (fā), which depicts the idea of releasing an arrow from a bow, meaning to emit, issue forth, or initiate. Combined, they create a powerful metaphor where the action of "opening" (启) one's mind or understanding allows for thoughts, insights, or realizations to "shoot forth" or "be released" (发). Thus, the formation captures the entire process of eliciting or sparking enlightenment, moving from a closed state to an active emergence of new understanding.