The word 毫无 is formed through the fusion of two independent concepts to create a single, intensified meaning. The character 毫, originally referring to the fine tip of a hair, evolved to represent an extremely small or minute quantity. It is combined with 无, meaning "to not have" or "without". Their union is not merely additive but multiplicative in effect; the concept of "the tiniest possible amount" is directly negated by "without", resulting in the emphatic meaning of "completely without", "utterly lacking", or "not in the slightest". This creates a compound where the first element specifies the scope of the negation provided by the second, forming a complete and forceful expression of absence.