The Chinese word 群岛 (qúndǎo, meaning "archipelago") is a compound noun formed by combining two meaningful characters: 群 (qún), which means "group" or "cluster", and 岛 (dǎo), which means "island". It follows a common modifier-noun structure in Chinese word formation, where the first character 群 describes the collective nature of the second character 岛, thereby creating the specific meaning of a group or chain of islands. This logical and semantic combination efficiently conveys a more complex geographical concept through the relationship of its parts.