The word 望远镜 (wàngyuǎnjìng), meaning "telescope", is formed by directly combining the concepts of its function: 望 (wàng) means "to gaze into the distance", 远 (yuǎn) means "far", and 镜 (jìng) means "lens" or "mirror". Together, they create a perfectly descriptive compound: a "far-gazing lens", which is a logical and literal depiction of the instrument's purpose.