The word 品位 is formed by combining two meaningful characters: 品, which originally depicted three mouths and conveys ideas of tasting, judging, or grade, and 位, which signifies position, rank, or place. Their conceptual fusion creates a new compound where 品 contributes the notion of "discernment" or "refined judgment" and 位 provides the framework of "level" or "standard", together yielding the abstract meaning of "taste" (as in aesthetic quality) or "grade" (as of an ore).