The word 狩猎 is formed through the conceptual combination of two characters with closely related meanings to create a single, more specific term. The first character, 狩 (shòu), carries an ancient connotation of a large-scale, often ritual or royal, winter hunting expedition. The second character, 猎 (liè), is the general and more common character meaning "to hunt" or "to pursue game". By joining them, the word synthesizes these ideas, evoking the full scope and tradition of the activity, resulting in a classical and formal term for "hunting" that implies the organized pursuit of wild animals.