The word "手续" (shǒuxù), meaning "procedure" or "formality", is formed through a vivid conceptual metaphor. It combines "手" (shǒu), meaning "hand", with "续" (xù), meaning "to continue" or "to connect". The term originates from the imagery of traditional bureaucratic or business transactions, where documents or items were physically passed from hand to hand ("手") through a series of connected steps or stages ("续") to complete a process. Thus, the word visually encapsulates the idea of a sequence of manual actions or links in a chain, evolving to represent any set of required steps to accomplish an official matter.