The word "或许" is formed through the combination of two characters, "或" and "许", each contributing to the overall meaning of uncertainty or possibility. "或" historically conveys a sense of "maybe" or "or", indicating alternation or doubt, while "许" carries meanings related to "allowing" or "perhaps", often used in contexts of estimation or conjecture. By merging these synonymous or semantically overlapping characters, the compound intensifies and refines the expression of tentative likelihood, resulting in an adverb that means "perhaps" or "possibly", reflecting a typical Chinese lexical formation where two elements reinforce a shared conceptual theme.