The Chinese word 堕胎 (duòtāi), meaning "abortion", is a compound term formed through semantic combination. The first character, 堕 (duò), means "to fall", "to drop", or "to degenerate". The second character, 胎 (tāi), means "fetus" or "embryo". Literally, the compound conveys the concept of "causing the fetus to fall" or "fetal expulsion". This formation is logically descriptive, directly and clinically naming the medical procedure or event by combining a verb-like action (堕) with its object (胎), resulting in a formal, neutral term distinct from more colloquial or euphemistic expressions.