The word 来源 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a core idea to create a new, unified concept. The first character, 来 (lái), means "to come" or "coming", suggesting movement or arrival. The second character, 源 (yuán), means "source", "spring", or "origin", referring to a starting point. When placed together, they create a conceptual image of "the source from which something comes", perfectly encapsulating the meaning of "origin" or "provenance". It is a direct semantic compound where the combined pictorial ideas visually express the abstract notion of a point of emergence.