The Chinese word 奶牛 (nǎiniú), meaning "dairy cow", is a straightforward modifier-head compound noun. It is formed by combining the character 奶 (nǎi), meaning "milk", with the character 牛 (niú), meaning "cow" or "cattle". In this structure, the first character 奶 acts as a modifying element that specifies the purpose or key attribute of the noun, describing what kind of cow it is, namely, one bred for producing milk. The second character 牛 is the core semantic head, indicating the general category of the animal. Thus, the compound literally and logically means "milk cow".