The word 登录 (dēnglù), meaning "to log in", is a modern compound formed by combining two characters with related meanings: 登 (dēng), which carries the sense of "to ascend", "to step onto", or "to record", and 录 (lù), which means "to record" or "to register". Together, they create a semantic compound where both components reinforce the idea of "recording an entry" or "registering an ascent" into a system. This term originally applied to physical record-keeping, such as entering a name in a ledger, but its meaning has seamlessly evolved in the digital age to specifically denote the process of accessing a computer system or website by entering one's credentials.