The word 雇佣 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a core meaning to create a unified concept. The first character, 雇 (gù), carries the ancient sense of "to hire" or "employ", historically related to leasing or paying for a service. The second character, 佣 (yōng), specifically means a hired laborer, servant, or someone who works for pay. When placed together, the action of 雇 (hiring) is directed at the object 佣 (a wage-worker), thus forming the complete idea of "to employ" or "wage labor", where one party engages the services of another for compensation.