The word "蛮夷" is formed by combining the characters "蛮" and "夷". "蛮" is composed of "亦" serving as a phonetic element and "虫" meaning insect or reptile, historically used to refer to southern tribes considered uncivilized. "夷" is composed of "大" meaning big and "弓" meaning bow, historically denoting eastern tribes associated with archery. Together, they create a compound term where each character contributes its specific regional and cultural reference to collectively signify barbarian or foreign peoples.