The word 显然 is formed through a classical Chinese conceptual blend where the first character 显 (xiǎn), meaning "clear" or "apparent", visually and notionally establishes the core idea of visibility or obviousness. This is then fused with the character 然 (rán), which functions not as an independent word here but as a grammatical particle that solidifies and confirms the state described before it, essentially meaning "so" or "thus". Together, they create a compound where 显 presents the quality of clarity, and 然 conclusively frames it, resulting in the meaning of "clearly so" or "obviously", as if declaring that a fact has moved into plain sight and is therefore unquestionable.