The Chinese word 逗留 (dòuliú), meaning "to stay temporarily" or "to linger", is a compound word formed by combining two synonymous characters, each contributing to the overall meaning. The first character, 逗 (dòu), originally carried the sense of pausing or stopping during a journey, while the second character, 留 (liú), means to remain, stay, or detain. When paired, they reinforce and specify each other, creating a single verb that emphasizes the act of making a temporary stop or prolonging one's stay in a place, often with a connotation of a brief, non-permanent halt. This formation follows a common pattern in Chinese where two characters with related meanings are joined to create a more precise or nuanced term.