About
The Chinese word **霹雳** (*pīlì*) is a disyllabic compound formed through **semantic combination**, where both characters contribute to a single, powerful meaning. The first character, **霹** (*pī*), evokes the sudden, splitting sound of thunder, while the second, **雳** (*lì*), depicts the sharp, swift flash of lightning. Together, they create a vivid metaphor for a sudden, shocking, and overwhelmingly powerful event or force, much like the English phrase "thunderbolt." This formation is classic of Chinese **binomes**, where two phonetically and thematically linked characters fuse into an expressive, inseparable unit.