The word 领域 is formed through the conceptual combination of its two constituent characters: 领, which originally means "neck" or "collar" and by extension evokes the idea of "a territory under one's lead or jurisdiction", and 域, which means "region" or "area". Together, they merge spatially and abstractly to depict a defined "sphere" or "domain", first in a literal, geographical sense of a realm under sovereign control, and by metaphorical extension, to any specialized area of activity, knowledge, or influence, effectively visualizing a bounded field where certain rules or expertise apply.