The Chinese word 左撇子 (zuǒ piě zi), meaning "left-handed person", is formed through a vivid descriptive compound: 左 (zuǒ) means "left", 撇 (piě) is a calligraphic term for a downward-left sweeping stroke, often the first stroke in writing characters like 人, metaphorically representing the characteristic motion of a left hand writing or throwing, and 子 (zi) is a common nominal suffix that turns the description into a noun for a person. Thus, the term literally and figuratively constructs the idea of "a person who uses the left hand to make the 'piě' stroke/motion".