The word 踪迹 is formed through the combination of two semantically similar characters, each contributing to a unified and intensified meaning. The character 踪 (zōng) primarily conveys the idea of "footprints" or "tracks", focusing on the physical marks left by movement. The character 迹 (jì) carries a broader sense of "traces", "remains", or "vestiges", which can be physical or abstract. By joining them, the compound word 踪迹 creates a more comprehensive and vivid concept than either character alone, poetically evoking the complete trail or lingering signs left behind by someone or something's passage through a space.