The term 已故 (yǐgù) is a compound word formed through the common Chinese method of semantic combination, where two independent characters are joined to create a specific, refined meaning. The first character, 已 (yǐ), means "already," indicating a completed action or state. The second character, 故 (gù), in this context, means "died," "deceased," or "to pass away." When combined, the literal meaning is "already passed away," functioning as a formal and respectful adjective or attributive phrase, equivalent to "the late" in English, as in "the late Mr. Smith" (已故的史密斯先生). This construction provides a dignified and indirect way to refer to someone who has died, reflecting a linguistic preference for euphemism in sensitive contexts.