The Chinese word **肉桂** (ròuguì), meaning "cinnamon," is a **morphological compound** formed by combining two meaningful characters: **肉** (ròu), meaning "flesh" or "meat," and **桂** (guì), which refers to the cassia or laurel tree. The term is descriptive, referring specifically to the **inner bark** of the *Cinnamomum cassia* tree, which is the source of the spice. The character **肉** metaphorically denotes the soft, inner, fleshy part of the bark that is harvested and dried, while **桂** identifies the plant species. Thus, the compound literally translates to "flesh of the cassia," accurately describing the edible part of the plant used as a spice.