The word "泥巴" is a compound formed by combining the root character "泥," which means "mud" or "clay," with the suffix "巴." The character "巴" here functions not with its own independent meaning but as a colloquial, dialectal particle that adds a sense of texture, familiarity, or informal concreteness to the root. This combination creates a word that is more vivid and everyday than "泥" alone, commonly used in spoken Chinese to refer to wet, sticky, or manipulable mud, often with a tactile or slightly childish nuance.