The word "贿赂" is formed through the combination of two characters, "贿" and "赂", which historically both independently referred to wealth, property, or valuable goods. Over time, their meanings converged and specialized. The term evolved semantically to describe the specific act where such wealth is improperly given (to influence someone) and, by extension, the act of receiving it, thus encapsulating the entire corrupt transaction of bribery within a single conceptual unit.