The word 小提琴 (xiǎotíqín), meaning "violin", is a semantically descriptive compound formed through calque (loan translation) from the Italian "violino". It is constructed from three characters: 小 (xiǎo, "small"), 提 (tí, "to lift/hold", referring to the instrument's playing posture), and 琴 (qín, a general term for string instruments). Thus, the term literally translates to "small, lifted string instrument", directly and logically describing the violin's size, how it is held under the chin, and its instrumental family.