The Chinese word 排骨 (páigǔ) is a compound noun formed through semantic combination, where the character 排 (pái), meaning "to arrange in a row or line", modifies 骨 (gǔ), meaning "bone". It literally describes "bones arranged in a row", which is a direct and vivid visual depiction of the structure of ribs or chops. This term exemplifies a common Chinese word-formation process where two meaningful characters are combined to create a new, specific concept, in this case, referring primarily to pork ribs as a cut of meat and, by extension, to popular dishes like "fried spare ribs". The formation is logical and descriptive, moving from a literal physical description to a standardized culinary term.