The Chinese word 周边 (zhōubiān) is a compound term formed by combining two characters: 周 (zhōu), meaning "circumference", "circle", or "all around", and 边 (biān), meaning "edge", "side", or "border". Together, they create a literal meaning of "the area surrounding a center" or "periphery". In modern usage, this concept has been extended metaphorically; most notably, in fan and commercial contexts, it has been adopted from Japanese usage (where 周辺 shūhen has a similar meaning) to refer to merchandise or products "surrounding" a core media property, like anime, games, or celebrities, hence the common translation "peripherals" or "merchandise".