The word 目录 (mùlù, meaning "catalog" or "table of contents") is formed through a direct and logical combination of its two component characters: 目, which originally meant "eye" but extends to "item" or "something to look at", and 录, which means "to record" or "a record". Conceptually, it brings together the idea of a "recorded list of items", where one visually scans (目) a written register (录), perfectly encapsulating the function of a contents page or a catalog.