The word "幼虫" is formed by combining the character "幼", meaning young or immature, which itself is constructed from the radicals "幺" (denoting smallness) and "力" (indicating force, here suggesting tenderness), with the character "虫", meaning insect or worm, originating as a pictograph of a crawling creature. Together, they literally signify "young insect", specifically referring to the larval stage in development.