药物

The Chinese word 药物 (yào wù) for "medicine" or "drugs" is composed of two characters: 药 (yào) and 物 (wù). The character 药 originally meant "herb" or "medicinal plant", and it is believed to have originated from the pictograph of a plant with roots. Over time, the meaning of 药 expanded to include all types of medicines and drugs, both herbal and synthetic. The character 物 originally meant "thing" or "object", and it is believed to have originated from the pictograph of a person holding a tool. In the context of 药物, 物 is used to refer to the physical substance of a medicine or drug. Together, the two characters 药 and 物 form the compound word 药物, which refers to any substance that is used to treat or prevent disease.