The word 条例 is formed through a conceptual combination where the first character, 条 (tiáo), meaning "strip", "item", or "clause", provides the structural idea of separate, ordered points or articles. The second character, 例 (lì), meaning "example", "case", or "precedent", contributes the notion of a rule or pattern established for guidance. Together, they merge to create the composite concept of "regulations" or "statutes", conceptually representing a set of systematically arranged and authoritative rules or provisions.