The word 机械 is formed through the conceptual combination of its two component characters: 机 (jī), which originally conveys the idea of a mechanism, device, or pivotal part (like a trigger or a loom's moving part), and 械 (xiè), which denotes a tool, implement, or restraint. Together, they merge the notions of a complex, moving apparatus (机) with that of a utilitarian instrument or contraption (械), resulting in the modern meaning of "machine" or "mechanical", representing a unified concept of engineered machinery.