The Chinese word 谚语 (yànyǔ), meaning "proverb" or "saying," is a compound noun formed by combining two semantically related characters: 谚 (yàn), which specifically denotes a proverb, adage, or a traditionally passed-down saying that often conveys experience or wisdom, and 语 (yǔ), a broad term for "language," "speech," or "words." Together, they create a precise binome where 语 categorizes the term as a form of verbal expression, while 谚 specifies its nature as being folkloric, pithy, and instructive, thus forming a cohesive unit that explicitly means "proverbial speech" or the category of traditional sayings.