The word 异常 is formed by combining two conceptual characters: 异, which means "different", "unusual", or "separate", and 常, which means "constant", "regular", or "normal". The formation is a direct logical combination where the first character modifies the second; thus, it literally signifies a state or condition that is "un-regular" or "not normal", conveying the core idea of deviation from the ordinary, resulting in the meaning of "abnormal", "unusual", or "exception".