The word 影像 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a core meaning related to visual representation. The first character, 影 (yǐng), primarily means "shadow", but extends to "reflection" or "silhouette", conveying the idea of a captured or projected visual form. The second character, 像 (xiàng), means "likeness", "portrait", or "image", emphasizing a representation that resembles something real. Together, they form a compound where 影 suggests the medium or process (of light and projection) and 像 specifies the outcome (a likeness), merging to create the comprehensive modern meaning of "image" or "video", encompassing both still and moving pictures.