The compound word 风流 is formed through the combination of two meaningful characters: 风 (fēng), meaning "wind", which metaphorically implies influence, style, or aura, and 流 (liú), meaning "to flow" or "current", suggesting something that is disseminated, unrestrained, or moving through time and space. Together, they create a semantic blend where the whole meaning transcends the simple sum of its parts, evolving from a literal sense of "wind and flow" into a rich cultural idiom. Historically, it described a natural, elegant, and unrestrained demeanor, often associated with literary talent and romantic sensibility (like a "cultured wind flowing"), but over time it also acquired connotations of romantic promiscuity, demonstrating how the interaction of the characters' meanings shapes a concept that is both aesthetically refined and socially nuanced.