The word 子宫 (zǐgōng), meaning "womb" or "uterus", is formed through a direct conceptual combination of its two component characters. The first character, 子 (zǐ), carries the core meaning of "child" or "offspring". The second, 宫 (gōng), originally means "palace", "a grand residence", or "a hall". Thus, the compound visually and metaphorically constructs the idea of the "child's palace" – the revered, protective, and essential chamber where a child develops and is housed before birth.