The word "阁下" (géxià) is formed through a historical metaphor of respectful indirect address, literally meaning "beneath your pavilion". It originates from the practice of not daring to directly address a high-ranking person, but instead respectfully speaking to the attendants or subordinates imagined to be standing in the courtyard below the elevated hall or pavilion where the dignitary resided. This spatial metaphor of addressing the space below the other person's platform evolved into a standard honorific term for "Your Excellency", conveying deference by avoiding direct confrontation with the addressee's presence.