The word **子孙** (zǐsūn) is a classic example of a Chinese **compound word formed by juxtaposition**, where two semantically related characters combine to create a broader, more abstract meaning. The first character, **子** (zǐ), originally means "son" or "child," while the second, **孙** (sūn), means "grandchild." When placed together, they create a holistic concept that extends beyond the simple sum of its parts, collectively meaning "descendants," "progeny," or "generations to come." This formation follows a common pattern in Chinese where two terms from the same conceptual category (here, familial generations) are paired to express a general category—in this case, all future offspring in a lineage.