The Chinese word 堂兄 (tángxiōng) is a compound kinship term formed by combining two meaningful characters: 堂 (táng), which historically refers to the main hall of a house and, by extension, signifies the paternal or main familial line, and 兄 (xiōng), meaning "elder brother". Together, 堂兄 specifically denotes an "elder male cousin on the paternal side", that is, the son of one's father's brother. This structure highlights the patriarchal and hierarchical nature of traditional Chinese family relations, where 堂 distinguishes cousins who share the same paternal surname and ancestral hall from maternal cousins (who are marked by 表, biǎo).