The word "莲藕" is formed by directly combining the character "莲", meaning lotus, with the character "藕", meaning lotus root. This combination results in a compound term that refers to the lotus plant, specifically emphasizing both the plant and its edible rhizome. The characters are linked semantically, with "莲" representing the whole plant and "藕" denoting a distinctive part, thereby creating a word that encapsulates these related elements.