The word 教授 is formed by combining two individual characters, each with its own core meaning, to create a new, unified concept. The first character, 教 (jiào), fundamentally means "to teach" or "to instruct". The second, 授 (shòu), carries the meaning "to give", "to confer", or "to hand over". When joined, their meanings fuse into the concept of "one who teaches and confers knowledge", evolving naturally into the modern title for a professor, a senior teacher who imparts and bestows advanced learning.