The Chinese word 应用 (yìngyòng), meaning "to apply" or "application", is a compound formed by combining two independent morphemes: 应 (yìng), which carries the meaning of "to respond to", "to suit", or "to deal with", and 用 (yòng), which means "to use". Together, they create a coordinative or complementary compound where the first character 应 suggests the idea of fitting or adapting something to a situation, and the second character 用 specifies the action of putting it into practical use. This formation follows a common pattern in Chinese where two verbs or conceptual characters are joined to express a more complex, integrated action, in this case, the process of adapting knowledge, a principle, or a tool for practical utilization, hence giving rise to the modern terms for "applied" sciences or "applications" in software.