The word **趣味** is a compound formed by combining two meaningful characters: **趣**, which originally conveyed the idea of "hurrying toward" something and evolved to mean "interest," "delight," or "purpose," and **味**, meaning "flavor," "taste," or "savor." When joined, they create a holistic concept where **趣** provides the sense of directed appeal or enjoyable engagement, and **味** adds the dimension of experiential depth or lingering essence; thus, **趣味** collectively denotes "interest," "amusement," or "taste" in the sense of what one finds pleasurable and engaging, metaphorically blending the idea of savoring an experience with being drawn toward it.