The word 抚养 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a core physical action that together create the abstract concept of raising a child. The first character, 抚 (fǔ), depicts the radical for "hand" (扌) alongside a component that evokes the idea of comfort and soothing touch. The second character, 养 (yǎng), originally depicted a person tending to sheep, representing the acts of feeding, nurturing, and fostering growth. Thus, the compound visually and conceptually merges the immediate, comforting act of handling and soothing a child (抚) with the long-term, sustaining duty of providing and nurturing (养) to fully express the holistic responsibility of upbringing.