The word **奴役** is a compound formed through the combination of two semantically related characters: **奴** (nú), meaning "slave" or "bondservant," and **役** (yì), meaning "servitude," "forced labor," or "to use as a servant." Together, they create a complementary semantic relationship where "奴" provides the core concept of a subjugated person, and "役" specifies the action or state of forcing such servitude. This formation results in a verb/noun meaning "to enslave" or "enslavement," conceptually describing the system or act of reducing people to a condition of slave-like exploitation and control, thereby intensifying the sense of oppression beyond what either character conveys alone. Historically and in modern usage, it encapsulates both the social hierarchy and the coercive action inherent in systems of forced domination.