The word 回顾 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a key action to create a unified metaphorical meaning. The first character, 回 (huí), pictographically suggests a spiral or a turning motion, conveying the idea of "to return" or "to turn around". The second character, 顾 (gù), is built from a component meaning "head" (页) and one suggesting "to look around" (雇), together meaning "to look at" or "to attend to". Thus, 回顾 literally paints the vivid image of physically "turning one's head to look back", which naturally extends to the figurative sense of "to look back on" or "to review" the past.