The word 电缆 (diànlǎn, "electric cable") is a modern Chinese compound noun formed through semantic combination, where the first character 电 (diàn) means "electricity" and the second character 缆 (lǎn) means "thick rope" or "cable". Structurally, it follows a modifier-head pattern common in Chinese, where 电 modifies and specifies the type of 缆, effectively creating the meaning "a cable for conducting electricity". This logical, descriptive formation is typical for technical vocabulary coined to translate or conceptualize modern inventions, building meaning directly from the constituent characters' established definitions.