The word "娘娘" is formed through the morphological process of **reduplication**, where the single character "娘" (niáng), which primarily means "mother" or "young woman," is repeated. This repetition creates a new, distinct lexical item that conveys a heightened sense of **respect, formality, and honorific address**. It is most traditionally used as a title for an **empress or imperial consort** (e.g., Queen Mother or Empress Dowager) and is also commonly employed in religious and folk contexts to address **female goddesses or deities**, such as "Mazu" or the "Goddess of Mercy" (Guanyin). Thus, the reduplication transforms a general term for a woman into a specific, elevated title denoting reverence and high social or divine status.