The Chinese word **鉴别 (jiànbié)**, meaning "to distinguish," "to differentiate," or "to authenticate," is a compound word formed by combining two semantically related characters: **鉴 (jiàn)**, which originally meant "mirror" and by extension carries the sense of "to inspect" or "to reflect upon," and **别 (bié)**, which means "to separate" or "to differentiate." Together, they create a logical verb where **鉴** provides the action of careful observation or examination, and **别** specifies the purpose or result of that action, which is to tell things apart or identify their true nature. Thus, the formation is a coordinative (or parallel) compound where both morphemes contribute core aspects of the overall meaning—meticulous scrutiny leading to discrimination.