輸送水的管線
這一組裡，水是被管子送走的東西，也是這個複合字最直白的讀法。
noun · B1
A pipe that carries water, especially one of the large pipes laid under the ground that bring the public water supply to houses and buildings.
水管
核心畫面
One way to hold this word: a tube, plus water doing an important job inside it. The two meanings are two different objects that both fit that description — in one, the water is the thing being carried from place to place; in the other, the water sits still in a container and the smoke has to pass through it.
這個字的畫面可以想成：一根管子，加上「水在裡面扮演關鍵角色」這個條件。兩個意思其實是兩種不同的東西，但都符合這個描述…更多收起
這個字的畫面可以想成：一根管子，加上「水在裡面扮演關鍵角色」這個條件。兩個意思其實是兩種不同的東西，但都符合這個描述。一種裡面的水是被輸送的貨物，從水廠一路送到你家；另一種裡面的水安安靜靜待在底座，煙必須穿過它才能被吸進去。From the word’s history
Wiktionary records the compound from Middle English waterpype, analysed on the surface as water + pipe.
根據 Wiktionary，這個複合字在中古英語就寫成 waterpype，拆開來看就是 water（水）加 pipe（管子）。字面上的組合一直沒變，變的只是水在管子裡做什麼。
Wiktionary entry for 'water pipe' (kaikki extract, etymology_text: 'From Middle English waterpype. By surface analysis, water + pipe.')
Two branches
抽菸用的水煙管
同樣是管子加水，但水換了角色：它不再被送走，而是變成煙要穿過的那一關。
noun · B2
A device used for smoking, made of a long tube and a container of water. The smoke is pulled through the water before the person breathes it in.
水煙管