The Chinese word 火药 (huǒyào, "gunpowder") is a compound term formed through semantic combination: 火 (huǒ) means "fire", and 药 (yào) means "medicine" or "chemical powder". Historically, the term originated during the Tang dynasty when alchemists experimenting with life-extending elixirs discovered the explosive properties of mixing sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter. These ingredients were initially considered potent medicinal or alchemical substances (yào), and their dramatic reaction with fire led to the descriptive name "fire-medicine", perfectly capturing its nature as a chemical compound that unleashes fire and explosion.