The compound word 瓜葛 (guāgé) is formed through metaphorical extension from two literal plant names, "瓜" (melon/gourd) and "葛" (kudzu/vine), both of which are known for their long, intertwining stems and tendrils. This imagery naturally evolved to symbolize complicated, interwoven relationships or connections between people, events, or affairs, much like vines that are entangled and difficult to separate. Thus, the term lexically captures the concept of being involuntarily linked or implicated in a messy situation, embodying a vivid example of how Chinese vocabulary often uses concrete natural imagery to express abstract relational concepts.